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A Sneak Peek of The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide
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 To Will,
for playing hours of How Do You Spell?, What’s
Funnier?, Would a Ten-Year-Old Understand It?,
and other interactive games while I write. Thanks
for being my secret weapon.
“A WRITER IS A WORLD TRAPPED IN A PERSON.”

—VICTOR HUGO
PROLOGUE
 THE FAVORITE STUDENT

Willow Crest Unified School District spared no expense celebrating the

retirement of a beloved principal. The community banquet hall was decorated
so elegantly, there wasn’t a trace of Senior Bingo from the night before. The
tables were dressed with lacy tablecloths, floral centerpieces, and battery-
operated candles. Each place setting had golden plates and more silverware
than the guests knew what to do with.
Teachers, counselors, janitors, lunch ladies, and former students showed
up in droves to say good-bye and wish the principal well. The retirement
party was one of the classiest gatherings any of them had ever been to.
However, as the guest of honor looked around at all the long faces, the
occasion seemed more like a funeral than a celebration.
The newly appointed district superintendent tapped his champagne glass
with a spoon and the hall became quiet.
“May I have your attention please?” he said into a microphone. “Good
evening, everyone, I’m Dr. Brian Mitchell. As you know, we’re here to
celebrate one of the finest educators Willow Crest Unified School District has
ever had the privilege of employing, Mrs. Evelyn Peters.”
Her name was followed by a warm round of applause. A bright spotlight
hit Mrs. Peters, who was seated at the front of the room beside Dr. Mitchell.
She smiled and waved at the guests, but secretly she wished she had never
agreed to the gathering. Special attention and compliments from her
colleagues always made her uncomfortable, and tonight it was just getting
started.
“I’ve been asked to say a few words about Mrs. Peters, which is very
intimidating,” Dr. Mitchell said. “It doesn’t matter what I say, because rather
than taking any praise to heart, I know she’ll only be listening to my speech
for grammatical errors.”
The guests laughed and Mrs. Peters hid a giggle behind her napkin.
Anyone who knew her knew it was true.
 “It’s easy to say someone is good at their job, but I know for a fact that
Evelyn Peters is an incredible educator,” Dr. Mitchell said. “Nearly three
decades ago, long before she became a principal, I was in her first sixth-grade
class at Willow Crest Elementary School. Prior to meeting her, my childhood
had been very difficult. By the time I turned ten, both my parents were in
prison and I was bouncing in and out of foster care. When I stepped into Mrs.
Peters’s classroom I could barely read. Thanks to her, by the end of the year,
I was reading Dickens and Melville.”
Many of the guests clapped, making Mrs. Peters blush. Most of them had
lived or witnessed similar stories.
“We did not get along at first,” Dr. Mitchell said. “She pushed me harder
than anyone ever had. She gave me extra homework and made me stay after
school and read aloud to her. At one point, I was so tired of the special
treatment, I threatened to graffiti her house if it didn’t stop. The next day she
handed me a can of spray paint and a card with her address and said,
‘Whatever you write, just make sure it’s spelled correctly.’”
The hall erupted with laughter. The guests looked to Mrs. Peters to
confirm the story and she nodded coyly.
“Mrs. Peters taught me much more than just how to read,” Dr. Mitchell
said, and his voice began to break. “She taught me the importance of
compassion and patience. She was the only teacher I felt cared about me as
much as my grades. She got me excited to learn and inspired me to become
an educator. We’re very sad to see her go, but had she applied for
superintendent instead of retiring, we all know I would never have been
hired.”
Mrs. Peters wiped her glasses to distract the guests from the tears forming
in her eyes. Had it not been for this reception, she might never have
acknowledged to herself all the differences she had made in so many lives.
“Now, please join me in a toast,” Dr. Mitchell said, and raised his glass.
“To Evelyn Peters, thank you for inspiring and teaching us all. Willow Crest
Unified School District won’t be the same without you.”
Everyone in the hall raised their glasses to toast Mrs. Peters. When they
finished, Mrs. Peters took the microphone and raised her glass back at them.
“Now, please allow me to say a few words,” she said. “My late husband
was also a teacher, and he gave me the best advice one educator could give to
another. So, I would like to pass it along to you in case this is my last
chance.”
Everyone in the hall sat on the edge of their seats, especially the teachers.
“As teachers, we must not guide our students to become the people we
wish them to be, but elevate them to become the people they were meant to
be. Remember, the encouragement we give our students may be the only
encouragement they ever receive, so don’t use it sparingly. After twenty-five
years of teaching grammar school and my brief administration experience, I
can assure you my husband was absolutely right. And since that is the best
lesson I can teach you, I’ll say for the last time, class dismissed.”
The conclusion of her speech was met with a standing ovation. After a
few moments of applause Mrs. Peters urged the guests to sit, but it only made
them cheer louder for her.
The lights were dimmed and a screen was lowered. Dr. Mitchell and Mrs.
Peters took their seats and watched as group photos of Mrs. Peters’s classes
were projected, starting with her very first sixth-grade class from almost
thirty years before. As the slide show commenced, the former students
laughed at their eleven-and twelve-year-old selves and the ridiculous
hairstyles and clothes they had sported in earlier decades. Especially noted
was how little Mrs. Peters had changed over the years. In every picture the
educator’s hair, glasses, and floral dresses were exactly the same. It was as if
Mrs. Peters were frozen in time while the world changed around her.
The slide show made Mrs. Peters more emotional than anything else that
night. It was like watching a family album flash before her eyes. She
remembered the name of each face she saw. Most of the students she still
knew personally or she knew what they had gone on to become, but there
were a few she had lost contact with completely. It was a painful feeling to
have been so close to a child at one point, then later to feel as if they had
disappeared into thin air.
Mrs. Peters’s students were the closest thing to children she had ever had.
She hoped they were all happy and healthy, wherever they were. If she was
no longer a staple of compassion and guidance in their lives, she hoped they
had found someone who was.
“Evelyn?” Dr. Mitchell whispered.
Mrs. Peters still found it strange for a former student to address her by her
first name—even if he was the superintendent.
“Yes, Dr. Mitchell?” she whispered back.
 “Did you ever have a favorite student?” he asked with a grin. “I know
we’re not supposed to have favorites, but is there one child who stands out to
you? Besides me, of course.”
Mrs. Peters had never thought about such a thing. She had taught over five
hundred students in her career and remembered each for different reasons, but
selecting a favorite had never been a priority.
“I definitely enjoyed some more than others, but I could never choose a
favorite,” she said. “That would require judgment, and I always thought
judging a child is like judging an unfinished piece of art. Every child enters a
classroom with his or her own set of obstacles to face, whether behavioral or
academic. It’s a teacher’s job to identify those issues and help students
overcome them, but never to belittle a student for them.”
Dr. Mitchell had never thought of it that way. Even in adulthood, he was
still learning a thing or two from Mrs. Peters.
“I may be a superintendent, but I’ll always be your student,” he said.
“Oh, Dr. Mitchell.” Mrs. Peters laughed. “No one ever stops being a
student in the classroom of life.”
Even though she’d thought not answering was the best answer, Mrs.
Peters quickly realized she was mistaken. A picture appeared on the screen of
her final sixth-grade class, three years earlier. She scanned the faces of her
former students and stopped at a pair of twelve-year-old twins named Alex
and Conner Bailey.
Alex’s hair was neatly tucked behind a pink headband, and she held a
stack of books close to her heart. A large grin filled her face because school
was her favorite place in the world. Her brother, on the other hand, was puffy
eyed and his mouth hung open. He appeared to have just woken up from a
nap and to have had no clue the photo was being taken.
Mrs. Peters laughed because they looked exactly as she remembered
them, and the picture reminded her of how much she missed them.
Both of the Bailey twins had unexpectedly transferred schools before Mrs.
Peters had a chance to say good-bye. Alex went to live with her grandmother
in Vermont halfway through the seventh grade, and then Conner joined her
the following year. Even though their mother still lived in town, Mrs. Peters
had been assured they were better off with their grandmother.
As far as Mrs. Peters knew, Alex moved away to attend a school for
advanced learners. But it was still a mystery as to why Conner had gone to
join her.
The year before he moved, Conner had run off during a school trip in
Europe with another student, Bree Campbell. The stunt seemed entirely out
of character for both students, who had clean records up to that point. Had
Conner stayed in Mrs. Peters’s school, he would have been punished
appropriately, as Bree had been, but Mrs. Peters never thought it warranted a
transfer to another school district.
The entire situation was very suspicious and personally upsetting for Mrs.
Peters. Conner had just discovered a natural talent for writing and was
excelling in school for the first time. Wherever he was now, Mrs. Peters
hoped Conner had found someone else to encourage him. To her, there was
nothing worse in the world than a student’s wasted potential.
The slide show ended and dessert was served in the banquet hall. After a
dozen more complimentary speeches from former colleagues and students,
the evening finally came to an end.
Mrs. Peters loaded her car with a stack of farewell cards and an armful of
bouquets. She was looking forward to a quiet night at home so she could
decompress from the long and emotional evening. On her way home, she
unintentionally drove past Willow Crest Elementary School. Mrs. Peters
slammed on her brakes and parked her car. The school reminded her of one
more good-bye she had to make before officially retiring.
Mrs. Peters dug through her large purse to find the key to her old sixth-
grade classroom. Luckily the locks hadn’t been changed, and she entered
room 6B without any trouble. But instead of feeling a wave of nostalgia like
she expected, she hardly recognized the dark room.
The current teacher decorated very differently than Mrs. Peters had. The
desks were arranged in groups instead of rows. The walls that used to hold
shelves of dictionaries and encyclopedias were now lined with computers and
tablets. The posters of world-renowned authors and scientists had been
replaced with posters of celebrities holding their favorite books—books Mrs.
Peters wasn’t convinced they had read.
Mrs. Peters felt like an actor stepping onto someone else’s stage. She
couldn’t believe how much a classroom could change in such little time. It
was as if she had never taught there at all. The only similarity was the
teacher’s desk, which was kept in the exact place Mrs. Peters had kept her
desk for twenty-five years. The retiree sat in the chair behind it and looked
around the classroom bittersweetly.
She hoped the decor wasn’t an indication of anything other than the new
teacher’s taste. She hoped the same morals and values she had taught were
still being shared in her absence. She hoped the new technology was
enhancing those lessons, and not replacing them with lesser ideology. Most
of all, Mrs. Peters hoped the new teacher cared about teaching as much as
she did.
Before getting depressed about it, Mrs. Peters reminded herself she would
have felt worse if there hadn’t been any change. After all, it was thanks to
teachers like her that the current generation was progressing so effortlessly
into the future.
And just like all the teachers who had come before her, it was time for
Mrs. Peters to pass the torch to her successors. She hadn’t expected letting go
would be so difficult.
“Good-bye, classroom,” Mrs. Peters said. “I’ll miss the lessons we taught
together, but even more, I’ll miss the lessons we learned.”
Just as she stood from the desk to leave, a sudden gust of wind circled the
classroom. Papers blew off the walls and a vortex formed in the center of the
room. A bright flash illuminated the dark classroom like a bolt of lightning
and Mrs. Peters dived under the desk for safety.
Peeking out from underneath the desk, Mrs. Peters could see two pairs of
feet appear out of thin air. One wore tennis shoes and the other a pair of
sparkling slippers.
“Well, this looks a lot different from when we were sixth-graders,” said
the familiar voice of a young man. “Aw man, how come they get computers
and we didn’t? I would have stayed awake more if we had those.”
“Sign of the times,” said another familiar voice, that of a young woman.
“I’m sure it won’t be long before they stop building schools altogether. Every
kid will be plugged into a device and taught at home. Can you imagine
anything worse?”
“Let’s focus on one crisis at a time,” the young man said. “You look
around the computer desks and I’ll look through the file cabinet. My stories
have got to be in here somewhere.”
The feet split up into different corners of the room. Mrs. Peters knew she
had heard those voices many times before, but she couldn’t picture the faces
they belonged to.
 “If they weren’t in her old office, what makes you think they’ll be in
here?” the young woman asked.
“It’s the only place we haven’t looked,” he said. “Teachers are
sentimental—maybe she put them in a time capsule or something? I just want
to look everywhere before we break into her house.”
Mrs. Peters couldn’t take the suspense any longer. She slowly got to her
feet and peered over the desk. As soon as she identified the newcomers she
let out a loud gasp, causing them both to jump.
“Mr. Bailey! Miss Bailey!” she said. The twins had grown so much since
the last time Mrs. Peters had seen them, especially Alex. Mrs. Peters couldn’t
help gawking at the long, beautiful gown she wore. It was the color of the sky
and sparkled as she moved, like something out of a fairy tale.
Alex and Conner Bailey were just as stunned to see their former teacher as
she was to see them.
“Um… hi, Mrs. Peters!” Alex said with a nervous laugh. “Long time no
see!”
“Mrs. Peters?” Conner asked. “What are you doing here so late?”
Mrs. Peters crossed her arms and glared at them over her glasses.
“I was about to ask you the same question,” she said. “How did you get
inside without a key? Where did all that light and wind come from? Are you
in the middle of some sort of prank?”
The twins stared at each other for a moment in silence, but neither knew
what to tell her. Without any other ideas, Conner began prancing around the
room waving his arms through the air like seaweed.
“Mrs. Peters, this is a dreeeeam!” he sang. “You ate some bad sushi and
now you’re having a nightmare about your former students! Leave the
classroom before we manifest into large school supplies!”
Mrs. Peters scowled at his terrible attempt to fool her, and he quickly
dropped his arms to his sides.
“I have a perfectly good grasp over my consciousness, Mr. Bailey,” she
said. “Now, will one of you explain how you appeared in this classroom or
do I need to call the police?”
Explaining the situation to someone in the Otherworld should have been
an easy task by now, but as the twins stood across from their former teacher
in their former classroom, they felt like they were twelve years old again.
Mrs. Peters was impossible to lie to, but she would never believe the truth.
 “We would, but it’s a really long story,” Alex said.
“I have a master’s degree in English—I love long stories,” Mrs. Peters
said.
The retiree’s stern expression suddenly faded from her face. She looked
back and forth between the twins, almost in disbelief. It was as if she had
figured out the truth all on her own and was having difficulty accepting it.
“Wait a second,” Mrs. Peters said. “Does this have anything to do with the
fairy-tale world?”
The twins’ jaws dropped in perfect unison. This was the last thing they
expected to come out of her mouth. It was like they were in a film that had
suddenly skipped a scene.
“Um… correct,” Conner said. “Well, that was easy.”
Alex gave Conner a dirty look—certain there was some information he
had forgotten to share with her.
“Conner, you told Mrs. Peters about the fairy-tale world?” Alex asked.
“Of course not!” Conner said. “It was probably Mom! She had to explain
our transfers somehow!”
When the twins looked back at Mrs. Peters, she was making a face they
had never seen her make before. Her eyes were large and glistening and she
covered a huge smile with both hands. The retiree looked like an excited little
girl.
“Oh my word,” Mrs. Peters said. “After all these years, I finally know it
was real.… I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent wondering if it was just
a dream or a hallucination, but you’ve appeared just like she did… and in a
dress just like hers.…”
The twins couldn’t have been more confused.
“What was real?” Conner asked.
“Who are you talking about?” Alex pressed.
“When I was a very little girl, I was sick in the hospital with pneumonia,”
she said. “Late one night, while the nurses were busy with the other patients,
a kind woman wearing a dress just like yours appeared in my room. She
brushed my hair and read me stories through the night to make me feel better.
I figured she must have been some sort of angel. When she left, I begged her
to tell me who she was. The woman told me she was a Fairy Godmother and
lived in the fairy-tale world.”
The twins couldn’t believe their ears. They had known Mrs. Peters for
years but never knew she had any knowledge of the fairy-tale world.
“Whoa, small worlds,” Conner said.
“That woman was our grandmother,” Alex said. “She and other fairies
used to travel to this world and read fairy tales to children in need. Grandma
said the stories always gave children hope.”
Mrs. Peters had a seat on the desk and held a hand over her heart.
“Well, she was right,” she said. “Once I was healthy, I devoured fairy
tales for the rest of my childhood. I even became a teacher so I could share
the same stories with others.”
“No way!” Conner said. “That’s why you made us do those reports on
fairy tales when we were your students! This is meta!”
“Conner, I hate when you use that word,” Alex said.
“I agree with Mr. Bailey—this is meta!” Mrs. Peters laughed. “Words
can’t describe how grateful I am to finally know the truth. All this time, you
weren’t living in another state; you were living with your grandmother in the
fairy-tale dimension! That explains your abrupt transfers, why your mother
was so vague about the details—and I’m assuming it has something to do
with Mr. Bailey’s abandonment of the school’s European trip.”
“Guilty,” Conner said sheepishly. “I’m not a delinquent after all!”
“And your grandmother, is she still around?” Mrs. Peters asked.
She seemed so happy, the twins didn’t want to break the news to her.
“Actually, Grandma passed away a little more than a year ago,” Alex said.
“Yeah, just after she slayed a dragon!” Conner bragged. “But that’s
another long story that will only lead to longer stories—trust me, our future
biographer is going to have his hands full—and right now we don’t have time
to explain! We’re actually here for something really important.”
“Oh?” Mrs. Peters said.
“Remember when you saved my short stories in a portfolio—for when I
started applying to colleges? Do you know where those are?” he asked.
“You don’t have your own copies?” Mrs. Peters asked.
“No, they were handwritten,” Conner said. “It was painful enough writing
the originals—my hand couldn’t take making copies.”
“Mr. Bailey, if you’re going to be a writer, you need to learn to secure
your work—”
“Yeah, I’m learning that the hard way,” Conner said. “Look, something
terrible has happened in the fairy-tale world, and we need my short stories to
save it.”
“I’m sure you have a million questions, but like Conner said, we’re really
crunched for time,” Alex added. “If you know where they are, please point us
in the right direction. A lot of people are depending on us.”
From the tone of their voices and the urgency in their eyes, Mrs. Peters
could tell they were very serious, so she didn’t question them further.
“You’re in luck,” she said. “I have them with me.”
Mrs. Peters retrieved her purse from under the desk and pulled a large
binder out of it. She flipped through the binder, and the twins saw it was
filled with hundreds of student essays, math tests, book reports, history
exams, and artwork.
“Today was my last day before retirement,” Mrs. Peters said. “I cleaned
out my desk and I found this. It’s a collection I’ve kept over the years of the
student work that made me the most proud to be an educator. Whenever I had
a particularly rough day, I would take a look through this and be inspired all
over again.”
When she reached the end of the binder, Mrs. Peters unclipped it and
handed Conner a stack of papers with messy handwriting.
“Here are your short stories, Mr. Bailey,” she said.
The twins sighed with relief. After a long search, they had finally found
them! Conner tried taking them out of Mrs. Peters’s hand, but she tightened
her grip.
“I’ll only give you these if you make me a promise,” she said.
“He’ll do whatever you want!” Alex said desperately.
Conner nodded. “Yeah, what she said!”
Mrs. Peters looked straight into his eyes. “When this troubling chapter of
your lives comes to an end, promise me you’ll go back to school and continue
writing,” she said.
Conner was expecting something much worse than that. “Okay, I
promise,” he said.
“Good,” she said. “The world needs writers like you to inspire them, Mr.
Bailey. Don’t take your talent for granted, and don’t let it go to waste.”
Mrs. Peters released her grip on the papers, and Conner’s short stories
were finally in his possession. Alex was thankful it had been an easy
exchange—she had been prepared to hex Mrs. Peters with a paralyzing spell
if she needed to.
 “I’m happy I made your binder,” Conner said.
“I never thought I’d say this, Mr. Bailey, but you are the closest thing to a
favorite student I’ll ever have,” she confessed.
“Me?” Conner said. “But… but… why?”
“Yeah, why?” Alex said before she could stop herself.
“With all due respect, Miss Bailey, when I’m old and my memory fades I
won’t remember the students who got the best grades or had the best
attendance,” Mrs. Peters said. “I’ll remember the ones who progressed the
most, and your brother has come a long way from taking naps in my class.”
“I don’t think I progressed any more than anyone else did,” Conner said
with a shrug.
“That’s because no one has the privilege of looking at themselves through
someone else’s eyes,” Mrs. Peters said. “I watched you struggle after your
father died—but you didn’t let yourself struggle for long. Rather than
wallowing in grief, you developed a strong sense of humor. Soon I was
constantly condemning your clown antics in class. The following year, when
I became principal, I had a feeling there was a remarkable imagination behind
that wit. I had your teacher send me samples of your creative writing and my
suspicion was right. You chose to grow from tragedy—and it takes a very
strong person to do that.”
Alex smiled proudly at her brother. Conner’s whole face turned bright red
—he was as good at taking compliments as Mrs. Peters was.
“Aw shucks,” he said. “I guess I’m more sophisticated than I thought.”
“You’d be surprised,” Mrs. Peters said. “I learned a lot about you from
your writing, possibly more than you intended to share. Perhaps as you look
through your stories again, you’ll learn a thing or two about yourself.”
This made Conner a little nervous—how much of himself had he
exposed? When he wrote, Conner only worried about telling a good story; he
never thought about the fingerprints he left between the lines. He suddenly
felt like he was in the shower and had forgotten to lock the bathroom door.
“Thank you, Mrs. Peters,” Conner said. “For what it’s worth, you’ve
always been my favorite, too. I never would have liked writing if it weren’t
for you.”
Mrs. Peters was so happy she had stumbled upon the Bailey twins tonight.
Knowing she helped shape the twins into the wonderful and responsible
young adults they’d become was the greatest retirement gift she could have
received. She put the binder back into her purse and then glanced up at the
clock. It was disheartening to see that the new teacher had obnoxiously
decorated the clock to look like the sun.
“I can’t believe it’s past midnight,” Mrs. Peters said. “I’m absolutely
exhausted. If you’ll both excuse me, I think I’ll head—”
With another gust of wind and a flash of light, the Bailey twins
disappeared into thin air. It made Mrs. Peters laugh because their quick exit
confirmed something she believed with her whole heart.
“Students,” she said. “They come and go so quickly.”
CHAPTER ONE
 THE MASKED EMPIRE

The air was filled with so much smoke, you could barely see the sky. Every
time it was cleared by a strong wind, it was quickly replenished from another
pillaged town or forest fire. During the day, the sun looked like a weak
lantern shining through a brown sheet. At night, seeing a star had become as
rare as spotting a shooting star.
The fairy-tale world had faced many troubling times in recent years, but
never anything like this. It was the first time in history that happily ever after
seemed impossible to regain.
Over the course of one night, the Wicked Witch of the West’s Winkie
army attacked the Charming Kingdom and the Troblin Territory. Her flying
monkeys were sent to terrorize the Elf Empire and the Corner Kingdom. The
Queen of Hearts marched her card soldiers through the Center Kingdom and
then wreaked havoc on the Eastern Kingdom. Captain Hook’s band of pirates
poisoned the waters of Mermaid Bay, sending the mermaids fleeing deeper
into the ocean. Captain Hook’s flying ship, the Jolly Roger, attacked the
Fairy Kingdom, leaving the palace in pieces. Then the captain took the
Northern Kingdom by storm.
The soldiers and villagers of every kingdom, who had once banded
together to fight off the Grande Armée, were no match for these invaders.
Their homes and towns were pillaged and burned to the ground. Their farms
and stables were raided, and their livestock and horses were stolen.
All the fairies were presumed dead or in hiding. The kings and queens had
lost their thrones, and their homes lay in ruins. The forests were slowly
burned one at a time, giving the animals and refugees fewer and fewer places
to hide.
The kingdoms and territories of yesterday ceased to exist. All the land in
the fairy-tale world had been combined into one large empire ruled by the
infamous Masked Man and his newly assembled Literary Army.
The elf, troll, goblin, and human civilians from all over the fairy-tale
world were rounded up and marched into the Northern Kingdom. They were
pushed into Swan Lake, just beside the severely damaged Northern Palace.
The lake had been dried out by the Literary Army, making it a deep, muddy
crater, perfect to hold the civilians prisoner. By the time the lake was filled,
the sun had started its descent in the western sky. The Literary soldiers
pointed their captives’ attention to a large balcony of the palace.
Doors opened and the Masked Man appeared. His entire head was
covered in a mask made of rubies and jewels with only two slits for his eyes.
His raggedy clothes had been upgraded to a well-tailored suit. He wore a long
black cape with a collar that towered sinisterly over his head.
The Masked Man finally looked like the menacing ruler he had always
wanted to become.
His entrance was met with a thunderous rumble of booing and hissing,
which only escalated when the Queen of Hearts, the Wicked Witch of the
West, and Captain Hook joined him on the balcony. The Masked Man held
his hands out in front of him, embracing the noise as if it were applause.
“Now, now, now,” he said. “Is that how you address your new emperor?”
The title was not received well by his imprisoned audience. Many of the
civilians had stashed food in their clothing before being forced from their
homes, and rather than saving it, they threw it angrily at the Masked Man.
The self-appointed emperor was pelted with tomatoes, plums, and heads of
lettuce.
The civilians roared with laughter. Even the Wicked Witch of the West
cackled at the embarrassing scene. But the Masked Man wouldn’t let his first
moments as emperor become a mockery.
“SILENCE OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” the Masked Man yelled.
The food throwing stopped, and a tense hush fell over the dried-up lake.
He had already destroyed their villages and homes; there was no telling how
far he’d go to gain respect. A winged monkey brought the Masked Man a rag,
and he wiped the food off his clothing.
“From this day forward you will no longer be the people of your pathetic
kingdoms, but the property of this empire,” he announced. “Disrespect me
again, and I will not show you the same mercy as your weak kings and fragile
queens. Anyone who dares to cross me will not only lose their own lives, but
will first watch as I take their families’ lives as well!”
Children throughout the lake began to cry, and their parents held them
tightly. It seemed the darkest days were still ahead.
“I’ve brought you all here to witness the birth of a new era,” the Masked
Man preached. “But before we achieve a new future, the ways of the past
must be destroyed—and the leaders of the past are no exception!”
The Masked Man gestured to a large wooden platform below the balcony,
on the lawn between the palace and the dried lake. A very tall man in a long
black cloak climbed to the top of the platform and placed a large wooden
block in the center.
A dozen flying monkeys pulled a wagon out from behind the palace. It
carried all the former kings and queens of the fairy-tale world: Cinderella,
King Chance, Sleeping Beauty, King Chase, Snow White, King Chandler,
Trollbella, Empress Elvina, Rapunzel, Sir William, and even the young
princesses Hope and Ash. All the royals had their hands tied together and
were blindfolded and gagged with strips of white cloth.
The tall man on the platform withdrew a large silver axe from inside his
cloak. The civilians began screaming and shouting in horror once they
realized the purpose of it—the Masked Man was going to have the royal
families executed!
Although they couldn’t see, the kings and queens knew what was
happening by the sound of the terrified crowd. They fought against their
restraints, but they didn’t budge. The civilians desperately tried to climb out
of the dried lake to save their rulers, but they were kicked back into the mud.
The card soldiers stood around the lake’s perimeter and locked arms, forming
a wall to block them.
The Masked Man laughed wildly at all the terror he was causing. Winkie
soldiers pulled the royals out of the wagon and pushed them up the steps to
the platform, then stood guard around it. The cloaked executioner sharpened
his axe as he awaited his cue to begin.
“Start with the men, then the women, then the children,” the Masked Man
ordered. “Your Majesty, if you would please do the honors…”
The Queen of Hearts stepped to the edge of the balcony. With enlarged
eyes and a devious grin, she looked down at the distressed royals like they
were a delicious snack.
“OOOOFFFF WITH THEIR HEEEEEAAAAADS!” she roared.
The lake erupted in protest. The women cried desperate pleas for the
execution to stop; the men yelled profanities at the Masked Man for being so
cruel. The frightened royal families huddled together in a corner of the
platform and trembled.
The executioner selected King Chance to be his first kill. He grabbed him
by the arm and dragged him to the block. Cinderella and Hope screamed
through their gags when they realized he was no longer standing beside them.
The executioner forced Chance into a kneeling position and placed his
head on the wooden block. He held the axe above the king’s neck and
practiced swinging. With each swing, the civilians gasped, fearing it was the
fatal blow. Finally, the executioner raised his axe higher into the air than he
had raised it before. The pleas and screams from the helpless bystanders
multiplied; the royals knew it was only a matter of seconds before the king
lost his head.
The executioner brought the axe down—but as he did, he spun his body
so it sliced the platform floor instead of the king’s neck. Suddenly, the floor
caved in, causing the executioner and all the royals to fall through the
platform and disappear from sight. It was so unexpected, the panicked crowd
went silent—this couldn’t have been part of the plan.
“WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” the Masked Man screamed from the
balcony. “GET THEM OUT OF THERE!”
Just as the Winkie soldiers went to inspect the platform, three large
horses burst out from inside it! Porridge, Buckle, and Oats had been under
the platform the entire time. They were pulling a carriage with the
executioner and all the royals safely aboard. The platform had been a large
trapdoor!
“NOOOO!” the Masked Man screamed, and leaned over the balcony as
far as he could to get a better look.
To his horror, he saw Goldilocks on Porridge and Jack on Buckle! The
couple steered the horses and the carriage into the forest beyond the palace,
knocking over dozens of Winkie soldiers as they went. The execution had
turned into a rescue mission right before the Masked Man’s eyes!
Goldilocks glanced back at the rescued royals. “Is everyone all right?”
The royals moaned through their gags. Still blindfolded, they had no clue
what was going on. The executioner threw off his cloak—it had been the Tin
Woodman all along!
“Don’t fret, Your Majesties!” he said. “This is a rescue!”
The Tin Woodman sliced off the royals’ restraints with his axe.
 “We’re not out of it yet!” Jack said. “Everyone stay low! This is going to
be a bumpy ride!”
Meanwhile, the elf, troll, goblin, and human civilians embraced one
another and cheered as their leaders got away. The Masked Man was so
furious, he was practically breathing fire. The visible skin around his eyes
turned so red, it matched the rubies in his mask.
“AFTER THEM! ALL OF YOU!” he ordered the Literary Army.
“DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!”
The rescue party was chased through the forest by droves of Winkies and
card soldiers on horseback. The fleet of flying monkeys followed them from
the smoky sky. As the royals removed their blindfolds and looked around, an
escape didn’t seem likely—there was no way their carriage stood a chance
against the approaching Literary soldiers. Luckily, Jack and Goldilocks had
friends with a few tricks up their sleeves.
The Winkies and card soldiers were gaining speed and moving closer to
the carriage. Goldilocks nodded to Jack and he whistled. Suddenly, Sir Grant
and Sir Lampton appeared with dozens of their men on horseback. They
formed a protective circle around the carriage of royals and knocked the
approaching Literary soldiers to the ground.
“Sir Lampton, is that you?” Cinderella said.
“Hello, Your Majesty,” he said. “I wish the circumstances were different,
but I’m very pleased to see you’re alive!”
Sir Grant and Sir Lampton’s men weren’t alone—they shared their horses
with the Lost Boys from Neverland. When they were close enough, Tootles,
Nibs, Curly, and the Lost twins jumped off their horses and landed in the
carriage with the royals. The Lost Boys pulled slingshots out of their pockets
and launched rocks at the Winkies and card soldiers, hitting them in the face
and knocking them off their horses.
“This is fun!” Tootles said.
“Let’s make it a game!” Curly said.
“Ten points for the big square ones, and five for the gold guys,” Nibs
decided.
“Deal!” the Lost twins said.
The Lost Boys giggled so hard watching the Winkies and cards fall off
their horses that tears streamed down their rosy faces. They hadn’t had this
much fun since they left Neverland.
 Thanks to the Lost Boys and Sir Grant and Sir Lampton’s men, the
number of Literary soldiers trailing the carriage had significantly lowered.
But there were still plenty of Winkies and cards left to be concerned about.
Luckily, the rescue party was close to the next phase of their plan.
As they raced farther into the forest, Goldilocks spotted an arrow sticking
into the side of a tree—it was a sign!
“Jack, I see the arrow!” she said. “We’re almost to the Merry Men!”
Porridge, Buckle, and Oats were getting tired and starting to slow down,
so Jack was relieved to hear it. He whistled toward the treetops as loudly as
he could.
“WAS THAT THE WHISTLE WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR, OR DO
MY EARS DECEIVE ME?” shouted a boisterous voice from the trees.
Jack rolled his eyes and whistled again.
“THERE IT IS AGAIN! OUR TIME HAS COME, MERRY MEN!
ATTACK!”
Robin Hood and his Merry Men swung down from the treetops on ropes
like monkeys on vines. Little John, Alan-a-Dale, and Will Scarlet slammed
into the Winkies and cards. They knocked them to the ground and stole their
horses. Robin Hood flipped through the air, landing in the carriage with the
royals. He took off his hat and bowed to the queens.
“HAVE NO FEAR, LADIES, FOR THE TRUE HERO HAS
ARRIVED!” he said. He winked at them flirtatiously and kissed Rapunzel’s
hand, which Sir William didn’t appreciate.
“Gosh, I really hate that guy,” Jack whispered to Goldilocks.
Robin Hood reached for the bow and quiver of arrows fastened to the
back of his vest and joined the Lost Boys in shooting Winkies and cards off
their horses. After hitting a few, the Prince of Thieves grew cocky and started
showing off for the queens, striking ridiculous poses as he fired.
“DON’T BE INTIMIDATED, LOST BOYS,” he said, and rubbed
Tootles’s head. “BATTLE IS MEANT FOR MEN.”
Tootles snapped his slingshot against Robin Hood’s buttocks, causing him
to squeal like an injured swine.
“Tootles, save it for the enemy!” Goldilocks reprimanded.
“Sorry, it slipped!” Tootles said.
By now, the Winkies and card soldiers had all been knocked to the ground
or had retreated to the Northern Palace. However, the chase wasn’t over yet.
Piercing screeches echoed through the forest as the flying monkeys
descended upon the rescue party.
Jack whistled again. “Peter, it’s your turn!” he yelled.
Like a rocket, Peter Pan flew out from underneath the carriage where he
had been hiding. It happened so fast, he startled the royal families. The Boy
Who Never Grew Up handed two bags of firecrackers to Little John and
Alan-a-Dale, and matches to Will Scarlet. The Merry Men tossed the
firecrackers to Will Scarlet, and once he lit them, Peter quickly scooped them
up. The boy flew above the treetops and threw the firecrackers at the
approaching flying monkeys.
Each explosion shocked and discombobulated the flying monkeys, and
they fluttered to the ground. Peter and the Merry Men continued their
firecracker relay until all the flying monkeys had dropped from the sky.
“Take THAT, you overgrown bats!” Peter chuckled.
Trollbella watched Peter Pan in astonishment. Her heart was beating so
fast, if it had wings, she could have joined him in flight.
“It’s like I was beheaded and went to heaven!” she said. “He’s just like
Butterboy—but he floats and sparkles! I didn’t know a boy so wonderful
could exist! Stop it, Trollbella! Pull yourself together! You promised yourself
you wouldn’t love again until the world was in better condition!”
Still, the Troblin Queen tried to catch the trails of fairy dust Peter left as
he flew beside the carriage.
Finally free from the Masked Man’s Literary Army, the royals and their
rescuers could all breathe a little easier. Goldilocks and Jack took the reins of
their horses and steered them into a sharp left, leading the party straight into
the Dwarf Forests.
“Where are we going?” Snow White asked.
“Someplace the Masked Man and his army will never find us,” Goldilocks
said.
“Now, everyone keep as quiet as possible,” Jack instructed. “The less
noise we make, the better.”
The royals obeyed his instructions. The rescue party spent the rest of the
day traveling deeper and deeper into the Dwarf Forests. The kings and queens
glanced around nervously at the thick forest, as most of them had never been
to these parts before. They kept waiting for something frightening to appear,
but the forest that infamously housed the most dangerous creatures and
criminals in the fairy-tale world seemed rather empty.
They reached a hilly part of the woods just before nightfall. Goldilocks
stopped the procession in front of a large boulder sticking into the hillside.
She covered her mouth and made a peculiar shape with her hands.
“Coo-KOO, coo-KOO!” she called.
The birdcall echoed through the forest. The party waited anxiously in
silence. A moment later, a faint birdcall came from somewhere beyond the
boulder.
“Coo-coo-KA, coo-coo-KA.”
The boulder was slowly rolled away by two monstrous black bears,
revealing a hidden tunnel in the hillside. The sight of the bears frightened the
royals and they held one another closely.
“Don’t be scared, they’re with us,” Goldilocks whispered. “If anyone has
reservations about bears, it’s me.”
The carriage moved into the tunnel, and the men on horseback followed.
Once the entire rescue party was inside, the bears rolled the boulder back so
the entrance was hidden again. The rescue party traveled down the tunnel for
several hundred feet and then entered a cavernous mine.
The ground was covered in cart tracks that stretched into more tunnels
going deeper into the hillside. Thousands of fireflies covered the stalactites
above, illuminating the dark cave like earthy chandeliers. Dozens of sheets
and quilts were draped over stalagmites to make several tents.
The royal families were very surprised to see they were among hundreds
of other refugees. Families of humans, elves, trolls, and goblins were
dispersed throughout the mine. There were also several groups of animals:
foxes, wolves, badgers, bears, and birds of every kind. Even the animals were
taking shelter during this terrible time—which explained why the forest was
so empty.
There were a few familiar faces among the hideaways as well. Hagetta
and Friar Tuck were cooking a meal together in a large cauldron. The
Traveling Tradesman, the old geezer who sold Jack the magic beans that
grew the infamous beanstalk, sat against a stalagmite as he counted a
collection of chicken feet he kept in a small sack.
Queen Red Riding Hood was in the back of the mine, quietly sitting alone.
Her granny and the Little Old Woman from the Shoe Inn sat nearest to her,
knitting quilts to make more tents. Slightly, the Lost Boy who had turned into
a baby thanks to a youth potion, was taking a nap in a bassinet beside the
older women. Blubo, a young flying monkey, was curled up in the bassinet
beside him. Thanks to Granny’s bad eyesight, she thought he was an
extremely furry infant.
Being the pets of high-maintenance women, Clawdius and Lester had
become fast friends when they were brought to the mine. The animals also
napped together, taking turns using the other as a pillow.
Rook Robins and his father sat in a group with others from their village.
Since he had nearly gotten the royals killed a year earlier, seeing them filled
Rook with unbearable guilt. He excused himself from his group and took a
walk through the tunnels to be alone.
The rescue party’s entrance caused quite a commotion. Everyone was so
happy to see the royal families were alive that the mine vibrated with
emotional cheers. The refugees surrounded the carriage and welcomed their
leaders to the only sanctuary left in the fairy-tale world.
“Thank the heavens you’re all right!” Hagetta said.
“All our prayers have been answered!” Friar Tuck said.
Jack climbed down from Buckle and then carefully helped Goldilocks off
Porridge, an act that became increasingly difficult as Goldilocks’s pregnant
belly grew every day. It was only a matter of time before they welcomed their
child into the world; they only wished a better world awaited it.
Robin Hood and the Merry Men eagerly helped the queens down from the
carriage, kissing their hands as they did so, which greatly annoyed their
husbands.
“Where are we?” Sleeping Beauty asked.
“We’re in an abandoned dwarf mine in the West Hills of the Dwarf
Forests,” Goldilocks said. “It’s not the extravagance you’re used to, but we’ll
be safe here. Very few people know it exists and it’s miles from the parts of
the woods being burned down.”
“We were taking shelter in a small cave in the Northern Mountains, but as
you can see, our numbers have grown,” Jack said.
“Where are all these people and creatures from?” King Chase asked.
“All over the kingdoms,” Goldilocks said. “They’re the few who managed
to escape the Masked Man’s army. Just like you, they’ve lost everything they
had.”
The royals were very sympathetic to the people around them, but clearly
had hesitations about sharing the mine with the creatures from the forest.
“I assure you, everyone and everything in this mine is safe,” Sir Lampton
said. “We’re all united by the same enemy and must stay so if we want to
reclaim our world.”
The royal families looked among themselves and nodded.
“You won’t find any objection from us,” Empress Elvina said on the
royals’ behalf. “We need to put aside our differences from the past, otherwise
there’ll be no hope for the future.”
Since the elves had a long history of being ostracized by the other
kingdoms, the empress’s words spoke volumes. They had already lost so
much; unity was something they couldn’t afford to lose next.
“Where are all the fairies?” Rapunzel asked.
“In hiding, hopefully,” Goldilocks said.
“Is it true the Fairy Council was turned to stone?” Trollbella asked.
“We don’t know,” Jack said with a long sigh. “Shortly after the kingdoms
were attacked, Alex and Conner went to the Fairy Kingdom to find the
council and get help, but they never came back.”
Everyone in the mine looked to the ground with worried eyes and a heavy
heart. This was the most distressing news of all. Without the Fairy Council or
the Bailey twins, how would they ever defeat the Masked Man and his
Literary Army? The future looked even bleaker than it had before.
“Alex was right,” Cinderella said. “The Fairy Council should have
listened to her. Had they gone after the Masked Man like she requested, none
of this would have happened.”
“What about Charlie or that monster who took him?” King Chandler
asked. “Has anyone tracked down their whereabouts?”
All the refugees turned to Red, but the queen remained silent. She didn’t
have the strength to relive it.
“Red and the Lost Boys found him at Morina’s cottage,” Goldilocks said.
“The witch has imprisoned him inside a magic mirror. They also found the
missing children from the Corner and Charming Kingdoms—they’re under
some sort of spell that’s draining their youth.”
With everything else that had happened, the royals had almost forgotten
about the missing children.
“Can’t we plan a rescue for them, too?” Rapunzel asked.
“The children have been cursed with very dark magic,” Hagetta explained.
“Moving them from their beds may take their life force away completely.”
“But what about Charlie?” King Chandler asked. “How do we get him out
of the mirror?”
“We can’t,” Red said weakly. “Once you’re imprisoned in a magic mirror,
it’s nearly impossible to be freed. It takes powerful magic to put someone
inside a mirror, but even more powerful magic to take someone out.”
“She’s right,” said Snow White. “My stepmother spent her whole life
trying to free the man from her mirror. She was as determined and capable as
anyone, and even she needed the Wishing Spell to do it.”
The Charming brothers didn’t want to believe it, but there was no
escaping the truth. There wasn’t a silver lining in sight—for any of their
worries.
“They’re no longer missing if we know their location,” Cinderella said.
“We must find comfort where we can, otherwise we’ll worry ourselves to
death. God willing, the children and Charlie will be among many things we
salvage in the months ahead.”
“Yes, but how do we begin salvaging anything?” Sir William asked.
“Have we ever faced a threat with such disadvantages?”
It seemed every question was only followed with more terrible news, so
everyone in the mine went silent. No one wanted to accept defeat, but the
little hope surviving in their hearts was dying fast. If something didn’t happen
soon, the fairy-tale world as they knew it would be gone forever.
The tense silence was broken by the Traveling Tradesman, who had been
biting his tongue up to this moment.
“Ah-hum.” He coughed.
All the refugees in the mine rolled their eyes at the old geezer. Clearly, he
was very unpopular among the survivors. When no one gave him the floor,
the old man tried to get their attention again.
“Ah-HUM!” He coughed even louder.
Hagetta was the only one with enough patience to acknowledge him.
“Yes, what is it, old man?” she asked.
“May I offer a suggestion?” the Traveling Tradesman asked.
His question was immediately followed by a chorus of loud sighs. Every
time the Tradesman opened his mouth he only filled their heads with
nonsense. But, to be fair to the old man, Jack raised his hands and silenced
the exasperated crowd.
 “Unless someone else has a suggestion to share, there’s no point in
discrediting his,” he said.
Red grunted dramatically. “Everyone cover your ears,” she said. “I’ve
heard crazy is contagious in small quarters.”
Despite the rudeness he received from his peers, the Traveling Tradesman
went to the center of the mine so everyone could see him, and he offered
them his suggestion.
“Perhaps we’re all looking at the situation from the wrong perspective,”
he said. “In times as troubling as these, let’s not torture ourselves further with
questions we don’t have the answers to—let’s ask the rocks!”
He proposed the idea as if everyone else was supposed to know what he
was talking about.
“ASK THE ROCKS?” Robin Hood said. “MERRY MEN, I BELIEVE
THE STRANGE OLD MAN IS OFF HIS ROCK-ER!”
Robin Hood laughed wildly at his own joke, but no one joined him. The
Tradesman was frustrated that he had to explain himself.
“Not just any rocks!” he said. “In my possession, I happen to have
precious premonition stones that are directly connected to the will of the
fates!”
The wacky old man reached for his stones, but they were missing from his
belt. He spun around in circles, looking all over the ground for where he
might have dropped them.
“Where on earth are my precious stones?” he demanded. “Has anyone
seen them? They were in a skunk-skin sack.”
All five of the Lost Boys turned bright red.
“Oops,” Tootles said. “We might have used those during the rescue.”
“You did WHAT?” the Tradesman yelled. “Those rocks are thousands of
years old! They’re meant for predicting the future, not slingshots!”
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to!” Tootles said.
“They didn’t look like special rocks to us,” Curly said.
“You really shouldn’t leave your stones lying around,” Nibs said.
“Yeah! There are kids in here!” the Lost twins said.
The Tradesman sat on the ground and wrapped his arms around his head.
“Now what am I supposed to use to predict the will of the fates?” he asked.
The Lost Boys checked their pockets.
“Would marbles work?” Tootles asked.
 The Traveling Tradesman let out a deep, apprehensive sigh. “Very well—
hand them over.”
Tootles poured a small bag of colorful marbles into the Tradesman’s
shaky hands. He closed his eyes, rubbed the marbles together, and whispered
strange gibberish to them. Finally, he threw them on the ground in front of
him and carefully watched them bounce and roll into one another.
“Interesting,” he said. “Very interesting.”
The Tradesman hemmed and hawed as if the marbles were speaking a
language only he understood. It was much more of an ordeal than the
refugees were expecting. Curiosity got the best of them and they formed a
circle around him.
“What are the marbles saying?” Jack asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous—marbles don’t speak! They simply move as the
fates command,” the Tradesman said. “You see this gray one? Dull, dreary,
and stuck in the dirt—that represents us! See the blue one and the pink one,
moving together in perfect unison away from the gray—those must represent
the twins! Fear not, the Baileys are alive!”
A few of the refugees cheered—but quickly stopped when they
remembered the information was coming from an old geezer talking to
marbles.
“But where are they?” Jack asked.
“They’re far away from us by now, most likely in the Otherworld—but
wait!”
All the refugees leaned in a little closer. Crazy or not, this was still the
most entertaining thing they had seen in weeks.
“See how the blue and the pink rolled toward the silver, yellow, purple,
and red? Now watch—the pink and blue are rolling back to the gray with the
silver, yellow, purple, and red! Look, all the marbles have knocked the gray
out of the dirt! It’s a MIRACLE!”
The Tradesman leaped to his feet and threw his hands into the air in
celebration. The refugees were on pins and needles waiting for the message
to be interpreted. Even if the news was not as great as it appeared, the
Tradesman’s enthusiasm was infectious—they hoped this wasn’t the crazy
that Red was talking about.
“What does it all mean?” Jack asked.
“It means the twins will have to travel to places far, far away, but will
return with help and save our world!” the Tradesman said. “But this will
happen if, and only if…”
“Yes?”
“Worlds collide,” the Tradesman said with large, energetic eyes.
No one had a clue what the old man was talking about, but they were all
so desperate for something positive, they took it as a good sign. Red, on the
other hand, was not as enthusiastic.
“All I see is an old man who’s lost his marbles,” she said.
The other refugees slowly came to their senses, too. Just because this was
the closest thing to good news they had received didn’t make it credible.
“I agree with the old man,” Goldilocks announced. “It doesn’t matter what
the marbles say or don’t say—the Bailey twins have never let us down
before. Just because we haven’t heard from them yet doesn’t mean we should
give up on them. We have to have faith they’ll return with help.”
“But what do we do in the meantime?” Red asked.
“Wait,” Goldilocks said. “It’s all we can do.”
CHAPTER TWO
 GROUNDED

Alex and Conner left their sixth-grade classroom and found a neighborhood
park where they could rest and form the next phase of their plan. It was an
hour or so before sunrise, and the night sky was lightening with every passing
minute. Everything was so quiet and peaceful, it was difficult to imagine how
chaotic life was back in the fairy-tale world and what awful things their
friends might be enduring.
The closer it came to sunrise, the more people drove past the park on their
early work commutes. Naturally, Alex had seen this many times before, but
every car she saw gave her a small thrill. It had been a long time since she’d
been back to the Otherworld, and it wasn’t until this moment that she realized
how much she missed it.
“It’s nice to see how little things have changed here,” Alex said. “The
fairy-tale world changes so much, I’ve never had a moment to catch my
breath.”
Conner was only half listening. He flipped through the pages of his short
stories and separated them into four stacks on the ground.
“Great, they’re all here!” he said. “‘Starboardia,’ ‘Galaxy Queen,’ ‘The
Ziblings,’ and ‘The Adventures of Blimp Boy’! Those are the stories with
characters that can help us! We’ll use the potion to travel inside the stories,
find the heroes, and then take them back to the fairy-tale world to help us
fight our uncle’s army.”
Alex had only agreed to her brother’s plan because their options were so
limited. The closer they got to actually going through with it, the more
doubtful she became. It was one thing to travel into the books of classic
literature, but an entirely different endeavor to go into short stories written by
her brother.
“Your stories sound more elaborate than I was expecting,” Alex said. “I
thought you wrote about our experiences in the fairy-tale world and just
changed all the names.”
 “That’s how it started,” Conner said. “But after I got the hang of it, I
might have exaggerated things a bit and taken some liberties. All good
writers do—I think.”
“Liberties?” Alex asked fearfully. “Conner, what exactly are we getting
ourselves into?”
Conner waved it off like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Relax, there’s nothing more dangerous than what we’ve already been
through,” he said. “‘Starboardia’ is a pirate adventure, ‘Galaxy Queen’ is
about space exploration, ‘The Ziblings’ are a group of superheroes, and ‘The
Adventures of Blimp Boy’ follows a young archaeologist. It’ll be a piece of
cake.”
The summaries didn’t comfort his sister at all. The twins were lucky they
had survived their adventures over the years. If his stories were based on
those experiences, Alex wasn’t eager to relive any of them—especially if
they had been exaggerated by her brother’s warped imagination.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Alex said. “I don’t mean to sound
like a snob, but maybe we should stick to published stories.”
“Stop worrying,” Conner said. “There are no evil enchantresses, no
dragons, no French soldiers, and no literary armies. All my characters are
based on people we know and love. They have the same bravery, intelligence,
and compassion as our friends—they’ll want to help us. We’ll be in and out
before the antagonists even show up.”
“What are we going to do with your characters after we bring them out?”
Alex asked. “Where are we going to keep them?”
Conner had been so worried about finding his stories, he hadn’t thought
about what they’d do after they found them.
“Good point,” he said. “We need a place they can stay while we recruit
the characters from the other stories. We also need someone to keep an eye
on them so they don’t wander off—someone we trust completely, who won’t
totally freak out about what we’re doing.”
The twins thought about the perfect place and the perfect person for the
job, but the candidates were few and far between. It had to be someone in the
Otherworld who already knew about the fairy-tale world, someone who had
seen magic before and wouldn’t be alarmed by it. The person had to be
responsible enough to supervise several fictional characters and have enough
space to host them. Alex and Conner came to the same conclusion at the
exact same time. They looked at each other and knew they were thinking the
same thing—there was only one person qualified for the task.
“Mom!” the twins said in unison.
The resolution was immediately followed by an avalanche of guilt.
“I can’t remember the last time I talked to Mom,” Alex said.
“Neither can I,” Conner said. “She’s probably worried sick.”
“We’ve been so busy trying to save the fairy-tale world, we never had a
chance to call home and check in,” Alex said.
“We’re good people, but terrible children,” Conner said.
“Regardless of whether she wants to help us or not, we need to visit her so
she knows we’re alive,” Alex said. “Let’s just hope she cooperates.”
The twins were in complete agreement. Conner gathered his stories, and
they headed out of the park. Alex followed her brother but was confused by
the direction he was walking in.
“Where are you going?” she asked him.
“Home,” he said.
“But home is that way.”
“No, home used to be that way,” Conner said. “Mom and I moved in with
Bob after they got married, remember?”
Alex’s guilt was doubled by another avalanche—she was so out of the
loop, she didn’t even know where her own family lived anymore. Whenever
she thought about her mom and stepdad in the Otherworld, she always
imagined them living in the rental house they had moved into when her and
Conner’s dad passed away. Perhaps the Otherworld had changed more than
she thought.
“I’m the worst daughter in the world,” she said. “This isn’t going to be a
fun visit, is it?”
“Nope,” Conner said. “Mom’s gonna be pretty upset when she sees us,
and I won’t blame her.”
They reached the edge of the park and Conner came to a stop.
“Aren’t you forgetting something else?” he said.
“What?” Alex asked.
Conner looked his sister up and down, like it was obvious. “Alex, you’re
dressed like the Tooth Fairy,” he said. “You can’t go walking around the
suburbs like that.”
“Oh,” she said. “You’re right—one second.”
 With a quick spin, Alex transformed her sparkling dress and shoes into a
T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
“I forgot how comfortable Otherworld clothes are,” she said.
“You look like you again,” Conner said. “Now come on, the quicker we
do this, the better.”
They walked through the neighborhood streets until they found Sycamore
Drive. By now the sun had risen and Alex could see all the spacious homes
on the street. She was delighted her mom and Bob lived in such a lovely
neighborhood. Alex knew which house was theirs before Conner pointed it
out because the flower beds were covered with their mom’s favorite roses.
“Hopefully they’ll be home,” Conner said. “They’re usually starting a day
shift or ending a night shift around this time.”
The twins walked up the curved path and knocked on the door. A few
moments later, their stepdad answered. Bob was still in his pajamas and on
his first cup of coffee. His eyes were puffy, like he had just woken up. The
doctor did a double take when he saw Alex and Conner standing behind the
door.
“Good morning, Bob,” Alex said cheerfully. “Nice to see you again!”
Bob rubbed his eyes and scratched his head. He wasn’t convinced he was
awake yet.
“Um… hi,” he said. “Well, this is a surprise.”
“Is Mom home?” Conner said. “We have to talk to her.”
“Yeah, she’s upstairs getting ready for work. Boy, she’ll be very glad to
see you,” he said. “Charlotte, you have visitors!” he called into the house.
The twins heard a window open above the porch. They looked up and saw
Charlotte looking down at them from the second story, already dressed for
work in her blue scrubs. Her face had many expressions at once—shock that
she was looking at her children, relief that they were all right, joy that they
had finally come home—but it settled on anger.
“Hi, Mom,” the twins said apologetically.
“INSIDE. NOW,” Charlotte said, and slammed the window.
Conner gulped. “We’re off to a good start.”
Before they knew it, Alex and Conner were seated on the living room sofa
and their mother was furiously pacing in front of them. She was so upset, she
couldn’t form the words to scold them. Bob sat in an armchair beside the
twins. He peered cautiously over his coffee, afraid for their safety.
 “The new house is really nice,” Alex said. “I really like how you
decorated—”
“Quiet,” Charlotte said. “Do either of you have any idea what you’ve put
me through? I’ve been so worried, I haven’t slept in months!”
“We’re really sorry, Mom,” Conner said. “We didn’t mean to worry—”
“Less talking, more listening,” she said. “Do you know what it’s like to
go to the grocery store and be asked ‘How are your children doing?’ and have
absolutely no clue yourself? Do you know what it’s like to tell a school
district ‘My children have transferred schools’ with no proof of a transfer?
Do you know what it’s like to hear nothing from your children for weeks at a
time except ‘Sorry we didn’t call you back, Mom, we had to fight a dragon,’
or ‘Got to go, Mom, an army is invading the castle’?”
Charlotte glared at her children as she waited for an answer, but the twins
stayed silent. They didn’t know if they were allowed to speak or if she was
just pausing for dramatic effect.
“For your sake, I hope your future children show you more respect and
courtesy than mine have shown me,” Charlotte went on. “Because not
knowing if your children are dead or alive in another dimension is the worst
feeling you could ever have. It’s worse than fighting enchantresses, it’s worse
than slaying dragons, and it’s worse than battling armies, I promise you!”
Tears came to Charlotte’s eyes and she looked away from the twins to
wipe them with a tissue. The guilt the twins had felt before was nothing
compared to the guilt they felt now. It tightened their stomachs and chests so
much, they thought their bodies might implode.
“Mom, we weren’t neglecting you on purpose,” Alex said. “We’d like to
explain, if you give us a chance. Something really terrible has happened and
we need your help—”
“I don’t care what’s happened!” Charlotte said. “There will always be
another crisis in the fairy-tale world to tend to! Your family should come
first! That’s what your father and I raised you to believe, or so I thought.”
“You did—and we do,” Conner said. “But so many people’s lives are in
danger—”
“What about your lives?” Charlotte asked. “Since you were thirteen years
old, you’ve been so busy saving other people, you’ve never taken care of
yourselves. Do either of you even know what today is?”
Alex and Conner looked at each other, but neither knew what she was
referring to. They quickly went through a mental list of possible holidays or
special occasions that it could be, but both were blanking.
“Is it your and Bob’s anniversary?” Conner asked.
Charlotte looked more heartbroken than ever. “No, today’s your fifteenth
birthday,” she said.
The twins were shocked. How could they not have known it was their
birthday? Suddenly, everything Charlotte said made perfect sense. They were
so occupied with saving other people, they were missing out on their own
lives.
Charlotte glanced at her watch and then grabbed her purse and car keys
off the rack by the front door.
“I have to go to work,” she said. “Both of you are grounded.”
Conner glanced at Alex. “Wait, can she still do that?” he asked.
“You bet I can!” Charlotte said. “I want both of you to go upstairs to your
bedrooms and stay there until I get home.”
“Do I even have a bedroom here?” Alex asked.
Charlotte was offended she had to ask. “Of course you do,” she said.
“When I get back, we’re going to go out for a nice family dinner to celebrate
your birthday.”
“Mom, that sounds nice, but we’re really pressed for time,” Alex said.
“Alexandra Bailey, it’s the least you can do for me,” Charlotte said.
“After we have a nice family dinner and discuss normal family things, we can
talk about what you need help with—but only after. Conner, please show
your sister to her bedroom.”
Charlotte left for work, leaving her children in very uncomfortable
silence. They were feeling so many things—guilt, shame, disappointment,
anxiety—they didn’t know which emotion to settle on.
Bob tried to break the tension, but even he didn’t know what to feel.
“So…” Bob said. “Happy birthday?”
CHAPTER THREE
 THE FALLEN EMPEROR

The civilians were so thankful their kings and queens had escaped
execution, they all stood a little taller in the dried-up lake. However, to avoid
being the target of the emperor’s building frustration, they kept as still and
quiet as possible.
Inside the ruins of the Northern Palace, in a large chamber that Queen
Snow White and King Chandler once ruled from, the Masked Man paced
feverishly in front of his new throne. The large chair had been built from the
pieces of all the other thrones of the kingdoms the Literary Army had
conquered.
“I don’t understand how your idiot soldiers didn’t know the platform was
rigged!” he yelled. “Why didn’t they check it?”
The Wicked Witch of the West, the Queen of Hearts, and Captain Hook
stood before the Masked Man. The new emperor had fallen into a daring
routine of blaming the literary villains when something didn’t go exactly as
planned.
“Our soldiers?” the Wicked Witch of the West said. “You’ve been
commanding our armies since we arrived! If you wanted them to inspect the
platform before the execution, you should have ordered it!”
The literary villains had endured about as much as they could stand from
the Masked Man. It was thanks to them he was emperor in the first place, but
instead of fulfilling his end of their bargains, the Masked Man was bossing
them around as if they were his servants. Power had clearly gone to his head,
and that was far enough.
“I’ve heard enough about how we have failed you!” the Queen of Hearts
barked. “It’s time you coughed up what you promised us!”
“You promised me Peter Pan!” Captain Hook shouted.
“And you promised me the silver slippers!” the Wicked Witch of the
West hollered.
“And you promised me HEADS!” the Queen of Hearts roared.
 The Masked Man didn’t have an ounce of empathy for the literary
villains. Their frustration was nothing compared to the rage boiling inside of
him.
“You will get what I promised once the royals have been recaptured and
executed,” the Masked Man said. “You agreed to make me an emperor, and I
won’t be a true emperor until all my adversaries have been destroyed!”
Footsteps echoed through the throne room. The Masked Man and the
literary villains turned to see Mr. Smee sprinting toward them. The pirate was
sweating, wheezing, and shaking—like he had been running from something
terrible.
“Excuse me, Your Excellency?” Smee panted.
“This better be important,” the Masked Man said.
“It’s about the creature in the dungeon, sir,” Smee said.
The creature responsible for turning the Fairy Council into stone was kept
in the dungeon in the very same cell that once contained the Evil Queen. It
was a monster of legendary power, so the Masked Man had ordered all of
Captain Hook’s pirates to patrol the dungeon and keep an eye on it.
“Yes, what about it?” the Masked Man asked.
Mr. Smee was trembling so much, his knees rattled together. No matter
how he put it, he knew the emperor would be furious when he heard the
news.
“It escaped!” Smee said. “Somehow it managed to take off its blindfold
while it was in its cell! When the pirates went to feed it, they looked it in the
eye and were turned into stone!”
Like steam from a teakettle, so much anger built up inside the Masked
Man that a thunderous howl erupted from his mouth. He wrapped his hands
around Smee’s throat and strangled the pirate. The day had turned into an
epic disaster, and unfortunately for him, it was about to get much worse.
A horn was blown outside to announce the return of the Literary soldiers
who had been sent after the royal families. The Masked Man dropped Smee
and bolted outside to the balcony. The Wicked Witch, the Queen of Hearts,
and Captain Hook followed him.
From the balcony, the Masked Man could see the Winkies and card
soldiers slowly emerging from the forest. They were all battered and bruised;
many couldn’t even walk without the help of another. They had come back
with far fewer horses than they left with. The flying monkeys descended from
the skies, but looked just as bad as the Winkies and cards, if not worse. They
were so discombobulated that many missed the balcony and smacked into the
walls of the palace.
Worst of all, there was no sign of the royal families anywhere. The
Masked Man grabbed the closest winged monkey by its vest and shook him
violently.
“WHERE ARE THE ROYAL FAMILIES?” he roared.
“They escaped!” the monkey screeched.
“HOW DID THEY GET AWAY? YOU OUTNUMBERED THEM TEN
TO ONE!” the Masked Man screamed.
“They had a very strategic plan we weren’t prepared for! They had backup
waiting in the woods! Men on horses, men in the trees, they even had a boy
who flew!”
The Masked Man felt like his heart had fallen out of his chest. If it
weren’t for his mask, they would have seen all the color drain from his face.
He prayed he had misheard the winged monkey and that his ears were
playing a cruel trick on his mind.
“Did you just say ‘they even had a boy who flew’?” he asked.
The winged monkey nodded. “Yes, sir,” it said. “He wore clothes made
out of leaves! He flew up from the trees and threw firecrackers at us!”
“PETER PAN!” Captain Hook growled. “You said he’d be trapped inside
the book until we retrieved him!”
The Masked Man threw the winged monkey on the floor and clutched his
chest. He felt like he was having a heart attack. Every time he thought the
situation couldn’t get worse, he was proved otherwise.
“No, this isn’t possible!” the Masked Man said. “If Peter Pan managed to
escape, that would mean my niece and nephew did, too!”
The Masked Man turned to the literary villains, and his fury quickly
dissolved into fear. The Queen of Hearts and Captain Hook were more
furious than he had ever seen them. With Peter Pan and the royal families out
of his reach, the Masked Man wasn’t capable of fulfilling his end of their
agreements. They had followed him into the fairy-tale world and given him
the use of their soldiers and cavalry for nothing.
“Listen, I can still give you what I promised,” he said. “I just need more
time!”
Captain Hook and the Queen of Hearts slowly moved toward him,
backing him into the railing of the balcony.
“LIAR!” the Queen of Hearts roared. “No royals, no HEADS!”
“And you can’t give me Peter Pan if you don’t have Peter Pan!” Captain
Hook said through a clenched jaw.
Afraid he was about to be knocked off the balcony, the Masked Man fell
to his knees and groveled at the Wicked Witch’s feet.
“I can still give you the silver slippers!” he pleaded. “Not all is lost!”
“I won’t be fooled by any more of your lies!” the Wicked Witch of the
West said. “Your reign ends today!”
The Wicked Witch of the West tapped the floor with her umbrella, and
two of her flying monkeys grabbed the Masked Man by the arms. They flew
him as high into the sky as they possibly could and dangled him above the
forest. The civilians in the dried-up lake alerted one another to the sight, but
no one knew what was happening.
“DON’T DO THIS!” the Masked Man cried. “YOU’RE MAKING A
MISTAKE! MY NIECE AND NEPHEW WILL DESTROY YOU
WITHOUT ME!”
“Our biggest mistake was trusting you!” the Wicked Witch of the West
shrieked. She tapped her umbrella again and the flying monkeys dropped the
Masked Man. He plummeted toward the earth, screaming the entire way
down, and landed somewhere deep in the forest.
“Look, the emperor has fallen!” The Wicked Witch of the West cackled.
It was obvious to the civilians that the literary villains had just staged a
coup. Now that the Masked Man was gone, the civilians wanted to cheer, but
the emperor’s death didn’t mean their troubles were over.
“If we aren’t getting what we came for, then what should we do now?”
Captain Hook asked. “Return to Neverland, Oz, and Wonderland?”
The literary villains thought it over, but now that they had seen the fairy-
tale world with their own eyes, their own worlds weren’t that appealing. With
the Masked Man gone, they had unlimited power over the strange land, and
power is easily addictive when placed in the wrong hands. It seemed the
fairy-tale world had much more to offer them than their own worlds did.
“I rather like this world,” Captain Hook said. “There are no Lost Boys,
mermaids, or Indians to fight. And if Peter Pan is here, there’s no reason to
return to Neverland.”
“There are no White Queens, Mad Hatters, or Cheshire Cats to pester us,”
the Queen of Hearts said. “Why return to Wonderland when I have plenty of
heads to roll right here?”
“There are no wizards, Munchkins, or Good Witches to stand in our way,”
the Wicked Witch of the West said. “And I have more power here than the
silver slippers could have given me in Oz!”
The literary villains shared a menacing smile.
“Let’s stay in this world and rule the empire ourselves,” the Wicked
Witch said. “Perhaps if we work together, we’ll achieve even more than what
the Masked Man promised us.”
The villains turned their gaze to the civilians in the dried-up lake.
From the way the three villains glared down from the balcony, the
civilians knew the nightmare was far from over.…
CHAPTER FOUR
 A NICE FAMILY DINNER

The Storybook Grill was a popular place for dinner during the week. By
seven o’clock each night, the diner was usually filled with families and
teenagers ordering their weight in Goblin Fries and Midnight Milk Shakes.
There were always loud and energetic crowds, and tonight was no exception.
However, the group in the booth at the very back did not match the
liveliness of the other patrons, so they stuck out like a sore thumb.
Cindy, Lindy, Mindy, and Wendy—four teenage girls recently reinstated
as the Book Huggers—somberly sipped milk shakes and shared a basket of
fries. The girls each had a copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle in front of them, but none of them seemed very
interested in it.
“We should probably talk about the book if we’re going to be a book club
again,” Cindy said.
The other girls nodded, but no one was eager to start. The quartet had
recently taken a break from books to focus on other passions—well, passion
—and started the Conspiracy Club. However, that club only made them more
restless than they already were, and they had been advised to take up reading
again.
“Did anyone have a favorite passage they’d like to share?” Cindy asked.
“Or maybe a favorite character?”
All the Book Huggers were quiet, forcing Cindy to take charge.
“Lindy, let’s start with you,” she said.
Lindy was awkwardly hunched over her milk shake and staring off into
space when Cindy called on her. Wherever her mind was, it wasn’t on
Sherlock Holmes.
“Um… I liked the hound?” Lindy said.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles?” Cindy asked.
Lindy looked uncomfortably from side to side. “Was there more than
one?”
 “Did you even read the book?” Cindy asked.
Lindy hunched lower than before and shamefully shook her head.
“Did anyone read the book this week?” Cindy asked.
The other Book Huggers slumped with embarrassment and shook their
heads as well. Cindy let out a long and frustrated sigh.
“We can’t revive our book club if we’re not going to read books,” she
said. “But if I’m honest, I didn’t read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
either.”
“I started it,” Mindy said. “It was just so hard focusing on a fictitious
mystery when the real-life mystery has never been solved.”
The Book Huggers nodded in agreement. No matter how hard they tried to
inspire themselves with new interests, new hobbies, and new clubs, or by
resurrecting old clubs, the only thing consistently on their minds for the past
year was the disappearance of Alex and Conner Bailey.
“You’d think it’d get easier over time, but it doesn’t,” Lindy said.
“We only started asking questions about Alex because we were bored and
had read all the books in the school library,” Mindy said. “But every answer
only gave us more questions, and the more questions we had, the more
infatuated we became.”
“I’ve read books and watched television shows about people with real-life
obsessions, but I never thought I’d become one of them,” Lindy said. “It’s all
I think about when I’m awake, and all I dream about when I’m asleep.”
Wendy nodded—it was affecting her sleep, too.
“Bree Campbell knows something we don’t,” Cindy said. “But until one
of us gains telepathic powers—or waterboarding is legalized—I don’t think
we’ll ever get it out of her.”
“She’s been absent from school for almost two whole weeks!” Mindy
said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the next one to get ‘transferred to
Vermont,’ as they say.”
Life had become exhausting to no end for the Book Huggers. They felt
like mice stuck in a maze with no cheese.
“What are we going to do, girls?” Lindy asked the table. “I don’t want this
to affect the rest of our lives! I want to become a psychologist—not need a
psychologist!”
“I’ll never be a heart surgeon if I can’t focus in medical school!” Mindy
said.
 “I’ll never win my first presidential debate if I can’t remember real
issues!” Cindy said.
Wendy pointed to the ceiling and made an X with her fingers—implying
she would never fulfill her dream of becoming an astronaut.
“It’s gone too far, ladies,” Cindy said. “This is just like Nineteen Eighty-
Four, and there’s no use fighting Big Brother anymore. We have to pull
ourselves together while we still can. For the sake of our sanity and our
destinies, we have to forget about the Bailey twins.”
The Book Huggers raised their milk shakes and clinked them together.
They were ready to turn over a new leaf. The undertaking wouldn’t be easy,
but it was necessary if they ever wanted to live normal lives again.
Unfortunately, the Book Huggers’ noble venture was about to feel like the
punch line of a great cosmic joke.
The front door of the Storybook Grill swung open, and the Bailey twins
walked in with Charlotte and Bob. Wendy happened to glance up from her
milk shake right at that second and was the first to notice Alex and Conner.
For the first moments after seeing them, Wendy was certain she was
hallucinating. They had just been talking about the Bailey twins—it was way
too coincidental for them to be in the same diner at exactly the same time.
But the longer they stayed in her sight without disappearing, the more she
realized they weren’t a mirage—the real-life Alex and Conner Bailey were
right there! Wendy was paralyzed with shock. The color drained from her
face, and she couldn’t feel her arms or legs.
“I think we should actually read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,”
Cindy said. “Next week, we’ll come back to this diner and have a real
discussion about it, just like we used to.”
“I concur,” Mindy said. “But can we do it a week from tomorrow? I’m
getting my braces off a week from today.”
“Congratulations!” Lindy said. “Will you have to wear a retainer?”
Wendy began humming to get the other Book Huggers’ attention, but she
was drowned out by the noise of the diner.
“Just for the first six weeks, then only at night after that,” Mindy said.
“I was so relieved when I finally had mine taken off,” Cindy said. “It felt
like handcuffs had been removed from my mouth.”
“My dentist said I don’t need braces,” Lindy said. “It’s probably a good
thing—I wouldn’t have the patience for them.”
 Wendy couldn’t believe they were talking about something so
meaningless when something so extraordinary was right in front of them. She
managed to regain feeling in one hand and lightly tapped Cindy on the
shoulder with it.
“Wendy, are you okay?” Lindy said.
“You look like you’re going to be sick,” Mindy said.
“Was there something in your Midnight Milk Shake?” Cindy asked.
Desperate for them to see what she was seeing, Wendy used resources she
hadn’t used since the first grade—spoken words!
“Alex… Conner… over there!” Wendy peeped.
Her voice was high-pitched and squeaky like a baby bird’s. The Book
Huggers were so shocked to hear her make a noise, it took them a second to
realize she had actually used words out loud and they had meaning. Once the
message was interpreted, they jerked their heads in the direction of the door
so fast that they pulled muscles in their necks. Once they all saw the Bailey
twins with their own eyes, the Book Huggers went as still and pale as Mount
Rushmore.
The twins were all eyes as they looked around at the diner’s fusion of
fairy-tale and 1950s decor. They knew Cinderella’s stepmother and
stepsisters had opened a restaurant after moving to the Otherworld, but this
was their first time seeing it.
Rosemary was in the middle of taking an order when she saw the Baileys
out of the corner of her eye. The waitress abandoned the customers in mid-
sentence to greet her old friends.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” Rosemary said, and hugged the
twins.
“Hi, Rosemary,” Conner said. “This place looks great!”
“Are Petunia and your mom around?” Alex asked.
“Mother has the night off and Petunia got another job, working for a
veterinarian,” Rosemary said. “Good riddance, if you ask me—she was a
lousy waitress! I’ll be sure to tell them you stopped by! Are you coming for
dinner?”
“Yes,” Charlotte said. “Table for four, please.”
“Right this way,” Rosemary said.
The stepsister grabbed four menus and sat them in a booth directly next to
the Book Huggers. The girls quickly grabbed their copies of The Adventures
of Sherlock Holmes and covered their faces with them, but Alex and Conner
weren’t paying attention. The twins were so amused by all the art and
knickknacks throughout the diner, they didn’t even notice their former
classmates.
“How’s Cinderella doing?” Rosemary asked the twins once they were
settled in their booth.
“Well, actually—”
Alex was about to tell Rosemary the truth when her mother gave her a
stern look. Anything that might get them off the topic of nice family
discussion wasn’t allowed at dinner tonight.
“Just fine,” Alex said. “Hope’s growing like a weed.”
“Wonderful. Please give them my best,” Rosemary said. “I hope you
enjoy the food. When you’re ready to order, just wave me down—oh, we’re
out of the Beanstalk Salad tonight.”
Rosemary went back to the customers while Alex and her family looked
over the menu. It referenced so many people and places in the fairy-tale
world, it was absolutely aggravating not to talk about the current crisis. The
twins hoped their nice family dinner would end as soon as possible.
“So kids, what’s new?” Charlotte asked. “How are your friends doing?”
She was so calm and casual, Alex and Conner knew she wasn’t referring
to the truth. They shared a curious look, and it suddenly dawned on them
what their mother was doing. Their nice family dinner was a chance for Mom
to pretend they were a perfectly normal family, living perfectly normal lives.
The twins felt like they were in a play they didn’t have the script for.
“Good,” Conner said. “Um… Goldilocks and Jack are expecting their
first baby!”
“That’s wonderful,” Charlotte said. “Do they know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
She knew as well as he did that the fairy-tale world didn’t have
ultrasounds, but he continued playing her game.
“Nope,” Conner said. “I guess they’re waiting to be surprised.”
“Your father and I did the same thing when we had you,” Charlotte said.
“We weren’t sure if we were having two boys or two girls, we just knew
there would be two of you. Imagine our surprise when we had one of each—
we didn’t have to return any of the baby clothes.”
Conner found this fascinating. “Really?” he said. “What would you have
named us if we were two girls or two boys?”
 “The firstborn was going to be an Alex no matter what,” Charlotte said.
“I’ve loved that name since I was a little girl—it was the name of my favorite
doll. But if Conner had been a girl, his name would have been Sarah.”
“What a coincidence! Before Margret passed away, we were planning on
having a baby, and if it was a girl, we would have named her Sarah, too,”
Bob said. “Were Alex and Conner an easy delivery?”
Charlotte let out a long laugh as the memory came to her.
“Giving birth was easy compared to the days that followed,” she said.
“Their grandmother was so excited to have grandchildren, she visited us
every day with someone new from the fairy-tale world. The first day she
brought Mother Goose, who almost mistakenly switched Conner’s bottle with
her flask! Thank goodness I was an overly protective first-time mom and saw
it happen! The second day we had the whole Fairy Council in the house.
They were lovely, but kept magically upgrading our belongings into nicer
things. By the time they left, we didn’t even recognize our house!”
The twins had never heard this story before and laughed just as hard as
Bob did. They could tell their mom enjoyed telling it as much as they enjoyed
hearing it.
“Those were good times,” Charlotte said with a bittersweet smile. “I miss
them.”
These were the moments of nice family discussion that Charlotte was so
desperate for. The Baileys hadn’t had them since the twins’ father died. There
was no talk of death or turmoil like in their usual conversations; they were
just a family laughing and sharing stories with one another.
As much as Alex wanted to continue hearing stories about their parents,
not addressing the issues at hand was eating her alive. Conner could feel the
impatience boiling inside his sister. He knew it was only a matter of time
before she ended their mother’s game of pretend.
“Mom, I’m sorry you haven’t had more moments to tell us stories like
that,” Alex said. “You’re right, you and Dad raised us to put family first and
we haven’t for a long time.”
“Thank you, Alex,” Charlotte said. “That means a lot.”
“But,” Alex said, “I can’t keep pretending everything is okay when we
know it’s not.”
Conner covered his face with his hands. “Oh boy, here we go,” he said.
“Alex, I asked you guys not to bring this up—”
 “I’m sorry, but I have to,” Alex said. “Right now, a lot of people need our
help. I know Conner and I have given up a lot, and you’ve given up a lot by
association, but we don’t care what we’ll have to sacrifice if it saves our
friends and all the families like ours. We’re doing the right thing because
that’s also the kind of son and daughter you and Dad raised. So please—let
us.”
Charlotte looked at her children differently than she had all day. She
wasn’t glaring at them with frustration or anger, but with pride. She reached
across the table and held their hands with her own.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I’ve been a little selfish. All I want is for
you to have the same experiences every teenager gets to have before this time
in your lives is gone, but I forget there’s nothing normal about you. It doesn’t
matter what I want—you should be living the lives you were meant for.
Forgive me, it was just so difficult losing your father; I hate feeling like I’ve
lost you, too.”
“I’m sorry we’ve made you feel like you lost us,” Conner said.
“You’re my children, but other people’s heroes,” Charlotte said. “Any
mother would be lucky to be in my shoes, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy
to wear. Sometimes at the end of the day, I just have to pretend you’re both
asleep in your beds.”
Charlotte dabbed the corners of her eyes with her napkin. Alex and
Conner couldn’t blame their mom for wishing things were different—they
did, too. The twins put so much time and effort into ending people’s
suffering, they didn’t realize how much their own mother was hurting. But if
their mom was willing, she was about to become more involved in their lives
than she was prepared for.
“Now tell me what’s going on in the fairy-tale world,” Charlotte said.
“And how in the world am I going to help you with it?”
Alex and Conner were relieved they could continue discussing their plan.
Both opened their mouths to fill her in, but they were at a loss for words.
After all, it was a complicated thing to explain. So much of it involved their
uncle Lloyd, and they didn’t want to overwhelm their mom with news of an
evil brother-in-law.
“Long story short, a really terrible man has taken over the fairy-tale
world,” Conner said. “They call him the Masked Man.”
“How’d he take over?” Charlotte asked.
 “He stole a potion from Grandma that turns every written work into a
portal to the world it describes,” Alex said. “He traveled into Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan.
Somehow he recruited the Queen of Hearts, the Wicked Witch of the West,
Captain Hook, and all their minions and soldiers into a big Literary Army and
attacked all the kingdoms.”
“That sounds terrifying,” Bob said. “Those villains used to give me
nightmares when I was a kid.”
“They’re much worse in real life,” Conner said. “Imagine how scary you
thought they were, now double that image, cover it in butter, and leave it
outside for a week—that’s how frightening they really are!”
“Why can’t the Fairy Council do something? Why does it always have to
fall on your shoulders?” Charlotte asked.
“The Fairy Council has been turned to stone, and all the soldiers in all the
kingdoms are no match for the Literary Army,” Alex said. “If we don’t find a
way to stop them, no one will.”
Charlotte hated that so much responsibility had fallen on her children’s
young shoulders.
“For the record, I am not okay with you two fighting these guys,”
Charlotte said. “But how are you going to stop them?”
Alex nudged Conner. “Tell her your plan,” she said.
Conner didn’t appreciate his sister’s unenthusiastic introduction. “We’re
going to recruit our own army,” he said. “We’re going to use the same potion
to travel into my short stories and bring back my characters.”
Charlotte and Bob couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“Oh my gosh!” Charlotte said. “Is that really the only thing you can do?”
“Trust me, I wish I could file a report at the Pentagon,” Conner said.
“Sometimes you’ve got to fight fire with fire.”
“I still don’t see how I fit into all of this,” Charlotte said.
The moment had finally come for the twins to tell her. It was such an
absurd request, the twins were afraid to ask. If she refused, they weren’t sure
who could help them.
“We need you to look after Conner’s characters as we bring them out of
his stories,” Alex said.
It was like someone pressed the Pause button on Charlotte and Bob.
Without breathing or blinking, they just looked at the twins with open mouths
and large eyes. They weren’t taking it well.
Conner waved his hand in front of their faces. “Are you still with us?” he
asked.
“Sorry,” Bob said. “It’s just—most parents of fifteen-year-olds only worry
about getting asked for money to go to the movies, or driving permits.”
Conner sat up excitedly. “Oh-my-God-Alex-we’re-old-enough-for-
driving-permits!” he said in one breath.
“One crisis at time, remember?” Alex said. “So, Mom and Bob, can you
help us?”
Bob and Charlotte looked at each other and shrugged.
“If it’ll save the fairy-tale world, I won’t object,” Bob said.
“What kinds of characters are going to be in my house?” Charlotte asked.
“We just had the carpets cleaned.”
“Oh, nothing crazy—pirates, cyborgs, superheroes, mummies—the usual
fictional suspects,” Conner said under his breath. “So, does that mean you
guys are in?”
The twins held their breath. Charlotte was hesitant, but it might have been
more concerning if she were completely fine with the idea.
“All right,” she said. “It’ll be an adventure.”
The twins were so relieved, they sank a foot into their seats.
“Awesome!” Conner said.
“Fantastic!” Alex said.
Bob and Charlotte glanced down at the Storybook Grill menus, but it was
a very difficult conversation to follow with French fries and hamburgers.
They both pushed the menus away.
“You know what, I think I’ve lost my appetite,” Charlotte said. “Maybe
we should go home and I’ll cook something later.”
“I agree,” Bob said.
The twins weren’t going to argue. They left the Storybook Grill with Bob
and Charlotte and headed back home. All of them were completely unaware
that their entire conversation had been heard by the patrons in the next booth.
The Book Huggers leaned so far out of their seats to watch them leave
that Cindy and Mindy fell onto the floor. The night had consisted of the most
important eavesdropping of their lives.
“Girls, did you hear everything I just heard?” Cindy said.
“I’m not sure,” Lindy said. “My heart started beating so hard toward the
end, I only heard every other word!”
“We’ve been right all along!” Mindy said. “They never went to Vermont
—they were living in another dimension! Did any of us ever think of that?”
Wendy raised a hand—reminding the group it had been one of her
suspicions from the very beginning.
“Forget Sherlock Holmes,” Cindy said. “We’ve got our own mystery to
follow.”
CHAPTER FIVE
 CRIES FROM THE CASTLE

Had someone told Bree Campbell two weeks ago that she would soon be
flying above another continent on a World War II plane with three distant
relatives, she would have laughed. Ironically, that’s exactly where Bree was,
and she wanted to cry. She had always considered herself a person of good
judgment and respectability, but as she bounced around the Boeing B-17
Flying Fortress thirteen thousand feet in the air, somewhere between France
and Germany, Bree suddenly felt like the lead character in a cautionary tale.
“Can you believe I haven’t flown one of these since the sixties?” Cornelia
called from the captain’s seat. The old woman’s hands clutched the controls,
but from the way they jerked her back and forth, it looked like the plane was
controlling her more than she was controlling it.
Bree, Wanda, and Frenda were strapped into their seats and holding on for
dear life. They had been flying for nine hours straight, and thanks to
Cornelia’s questionable piloting skills, it had been the bumpiest flight of
Bree’s life. And from the way things were going, it might be her last.
“Aunt Cornelia, are you sure you don’t need a hand up there?” Wanda
asked.
“I’m fine, thank you, dear,” Cornelia said. “It’s just like riding a bike!”
“Yeah, off a cliff,” Frenda said.
When Bree first met the Sisters Grimm and heard about their lives’ work
monitoring portals between the Otherworld and the fairy-tale world, she
thought they were the most capable group of women she had ever known.
However, she was learning the hard way that that capability did not include
flying a plane.
“Cornelia, remind me again where you went to piloting school?” Bree
asked.
“Well, technically I never went to school for it,” Cornelia said. “My father
was a pilot during the war—this was his plane. He taught me how to fly when
I was about your age, Bree. He flew this baby to Germany many times.
Thank goodness we’re going under different circumstances.”
“Your father fought in World War II?” Bree asked. “That must have been
difficult with so much family in Germany.”
“Most of our family left long before the war,” Cornelia said. “Would you
like a flying lesson, Bree?”
Bree wasn’t convinced Cornelia knew how to fly, let alone give a flying
lesson. She looked to Wanda and Frenda, and they motioned for her to go.
“You can’t be any worse than her!” Frenda said.
“Learn everything she knows and save us!” Wanda said.
Bree was scared to unbuckle her seat belt, but she quickly unfastened it
and dashed to the co-pilot seat beside Cornelia. There was an overwhelming
number of buttons, switches, and levers before her.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Bree said.
“If you can operate that phone of yours so well, this will be a walk in the
park,” Cornelia said. “Besides, the co-pilot’s job is the easiest.”
“Wait a second,” Bree said. “There should be two pilots flying this
plane?”
“Traditionally,” Cornelia said. “But it always takes two men to do what a
woman can do on her own.”
Bree would never have gotten on the plane if she’d thought it would lead
to this. She was making the trip to save a friend, but who was going to save
her?
As soon as she learned Emmerich had been kidnapped, Bree had a strong
feeling it wasn’t a normal Otherworld abduction. She had no evidence to
support the suspicion, but she felt it with every fiber of her being and
couldn’t shake it no matter how hard she tried. Bree had pestered Frau
Himmelsbach for more information about the incident, but Emmerich’s
mother grew tired of the questions and eventually ignored her calls. Bree had
shared her hunch with the Sisters Grimm, and they agreed the circumstances
were fishy.
“It is curious he was kidnapped so soon after being in the fairy-tale
world,” Cornelia said.
“If he was taken by someone from the fairy-tale world, we have tools that
can prove it,” Wanda told Bree.
“What kind of tools?” Bree asked.
“Cross-dimensional emission-tracking devices,” Frenda said. “Whenever
someone or something travels between worlds, the portal leaves a radiation-
like scent on them. We have machines that can detect it.”
“Awesome,” Bree said. “All we need now is a way to get to Germany.”
Cornelia had been cooped up in their Connecticut home for so long, she
was looking for any excuse to get out of the house. She generously offered
Bree a ride to Germany on their family plane. Bree was so desperate to find
Emmerich, she didn’t hesitate to take her up on the offer.
There was only one thing standing in her way: Bree had technically run
away from home to find the Sisters Grimm. If she was now going to Europe,
she needed a really good excuse so her parents wouldn’t call the police.
Luckily, Cornelia supplied that as well.
“Is this Little Eddy?” Cornelia had said to Bree’s father over the phone.
“It’s your cousin Cornelia.… I know, it has been a very long time.… Darling,
I’m calling to sincerely apologize to you and your wife. You see, Bree
recently called me with questions about our family heritage. She was so
interested, I invited her to come stay with me so I could tell her more.…
Well, I just found out she never ran it by you.… My thoughts exactly—
inexcusable! I’m sure you were both scared to death.… My intention was to
send her home immediately, but I unfortunately had a bad fall this morning
and injured my hip.… No, I’m not in any pain.… Yes, there is something you
can do.… Would it be terrible if Bree stayed with me until the end of the
week? I’m useless on my own.… Just until Wanda gets back into town, then
we’ll put her on the train home.… She’s been such help.… You bet,
absolutely no privileges whatsoever.… Thank you so much, dear!”
The next thing Bree knew, she and the Sisters Grimm were on their way
to a small private airport. However, Bree, Wanda, and Frenda all thought
Cornelia had hired a pilot to take them to Germany. They didn’t realize
Cornelia was planning to fly the plane herself until she switched on the
propellers and launched them into takeoff.
Now, at just fifteen years old, Bree was sitting next to the old woman,
being taught to fly the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. If Bree lived long
enough to become an old woman herself, she wasn’t sure her grandchildren
would even believe the story she was currently living.
“Taking off is the easy part,” Cornelia instructed. “You simply start the
propellers with the blue dial, turn the red gear to Steering Mode to get the
plane onto the runway, push down the green lever, and pull up on the
controls.”
Bree gulped. “Blue dial, red gear, green lever, controls,” she repeated.
“Perfect,” Cornelia said. “To fly, all you do is pull up on the green lever,
turn the red gear to Flight Mode, adjust the altitude with the brown handle,
and steer with the controls. Here, give it a go!”
Cornelia flipped a switch and the whole plane turned off. They entered a
rapid descent toward the earth! Bree watched in panic as the numbers on the
altitude monitor dropped hundreds of feet per second. Wanda and Frenda
were screaming so loudly, she could barely focus.
“Green lever, red gear, brown handle, controls!” Bree said, mimicking
everything Cornelia had just instructed.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress stopped plunging toward the ground and
glided smoothly through the clouds. In fact, it was flying much more easily
with Bree at the controls.
“You’re a natural flier!” Cornelia said. “It’s in our DNA.”
Bree thought there might be some truth to this. Since the magic in their
family’s blood came from Mother Goose, she wondered if a few of Mother
Goose’s flying genes had been transferred, too. There was actually a lot about
Cornelia that reminded Bree of Mother Goose. They both had the same
twinkle in their eye when they put others in danger.
“How much longer until we’re on the ground?” Wanda asked. “Safely on
the ground!”
“We’ve already begun our descent,” Cornelia said. “We’ll land shortly
after we pass over Füssen.”
Bree recalled that the area didn’t have many large cities. “Does Füssen
have an airport?” she asked.
“We don’t need an airport to land,” Cornelia said. “To quote Coco
Chanel, ‘The world is your runway’!”
“Mother, she was talking about fashion!” Frenda yelled.
“Everyone stop worrying! This baby is built for combat,” Cornelia said.
They didn’t care what it was built for; landing a plane anywhere but at an
airport sounded like a crash landing to them! Bree, Wanda, and Frenda
tightened their seat belts until there was no slack left. Soon the small
Bavarian city of Füssen came into view and Cornelia searched the ground for
a smooth surface to land.
“That field should do,” she said.
 Cornelia jerked the controls and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress curved
through the air, lowering toward a grassy field below. As the plane turned,
Bree caught a glimpse of Neuschwanstein Castle peeking through the hills in
the distance. It was as if she were seeing an old friend. The castle was just as
majestic as it was the first time she saw it with Conner on Mary’s Bridge.
“All right, time for your landing lesson,” Cornelia said. “You start by
turning the red gear to Landing Mode, pull up on the green lever, turn the
black knob to put down the wheels, and pull up on the controls so we’re
parallel to the ground.”
“Red gear, green lever, black knob, controls—got it,” Bree said.
“Splendid,” Cornelia said. “Now land us.”
Bree, Frenda, and Wanda were horrified. It was like Cornelia had a death
wish or something!
“What? But I’ve never landed a plane before!” Bree said.
The plane was getting closer and closer to the ground—someone had to
land it before it was too late! Cornelia looked over her glasses at Bree with
total faith in her eyes.
“Sometimes, if we enter situations that scare us with both hands on the
wheel, they don’t seem as frightening,” she said as calmly as ever. “Or in this
case, with both hands on the controls.”
Bree couldn’t believe Cornelia was making her do this. She could feel her
heart beating in the back of her throat. One wrong move and they would all
be dead!
Carefully and quickly, Bree turned the red gear to Landing Mode, pulled
up on the green lever, turned the black knob to put the wheels down, and held
up the controls to make the plane parallel to the ground.
“We’re gonna crash!” Wanda yelled, and vigorously crossed her chest.
“Wanda, you’re not Catholic!” Frenda said.
“I know, but we’re gonna need all the help we can get!”
The wheels slammed into the grassy field and the plane landed like a rock
skipping across a lake. It tore up large strips of earth, as if leaving a long
message in Morse code. Finally, the plane decelerated and rolled into a
shaky, sudden stop.
“Oh my God,” Bree said in disbelief. “I just landed a plane!”
“Mother, how could you let a fifteen-year-old land a plane!” Frenda said.
Cornelia burst into a fit of giggles. “You’re all so gullible,” she said. “I
had the autopilot on the entire time!”
The others didn’t find this funny at all.
“You mean, all that was for nothing?” Bree asked with an angry scowl.
“No, no—you did quite well,” Cornelia said. “Had the autopilot failed, we
would have had a successful landing. My father did the same thing to me on
my first flight. The best lessons are learned when it’s sink or swim, and
you’re quite the swimmer!”
Once their hearts settled to a normal pace, Bree and the Sisters Grimm
locked up the plane and headed for Emmerich’s house. Bree thought leaving
the plane unattended in a field was a strange thing to do, but Cornelia assured
her that planes were very difficult to steal.
Bree led the women through the outskirts of Füssen and into the little
village just below Neuschwanstein Castle called Hohenschwangau. Since
Cornelia walked with a cane, Bree was worried the journey would be too
much for her, but the old woman hobbled along, excited to be on another
Sisters Grimm adventure. They walked past all the souvenir shops,
restaurants, and inns dedicated to the castle, and found the Himmelsbachs’
tiny home on the edge of town.
“There it is,” Bree said, and pointed to the front steps. “That’s where
Conner and I met him.”
The sight made Bree feel remarkably nostalgic. It seemed like just
yesterday that she and Conner had told Emmerich they were secret agents so
he’d take them into the castle after visiting hours. They hadn’t been friends
for long, but Bree and Emmerich had shared such an incredible once-in-a-
lifetime adventure, she couldn’t believe there was a time when the little
German boy was a stranger. She just hoped they could bring him home,
wherever he was.
“Here goes nothing,” Bree said. “I hope Frau Himmelsbach is better at
answering her door than she is her phone.”
They walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell. They waited, but no
one answered. Bree rang the doorbell again, holding it down longer. A
moment later, Frau Himmelsbach answered the door.
“Kann ich Dir helfen?” she asked.
If Bree hadn’t recognized her voice from the phone, she wouldn’t have
thought it was Emmerich’s mother. The woman had brown hair and olive
skin, very different from her son’s pale skin and rosy complexion. She had
puffy eyes and sunken cheeks, like she had been crying and not eating much.
She wore a big black robe over a nightgown and probably hadn’t changed
clothes in days.
The woman wasn’t what Bree was expecting, but she definitely looked
like the mother of a missing child.
“Frau Himmelsbach, I’m sorry to disturb you,” Bree said. “I’m Bree
Campbell, your son’s friend from the United States.”
Emmerich’s mother was not happy to see her, and especially not happy to
see she had brought friends with her.
“What is wrong with you, child?” the Frau said. “I told you to stop calling
me and now you’ve come to my home?”
“I’m sorry,” Bree said. “I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I
couldn’t stay away. These are my cousins, Cornelia, Frenda, and Wanda.
We’ve traveled all this way because we want to help you find your son.”
Frau Himmelsbach crossed her arms and shook her head. She wasn’t easy
to convince.
“You Americans and your egos,” she said. “What can you do that the
Bavarian police cannot?”
Bree looked to the Sisters Grimm, hoping one of them would have an
answer.
“We’re private investigators who specialize in child abduction,” Cornelia
said. “We’ve brought special equipment along with us that may point us in
the direction of whoever took your child.”
“The police searched every inch of my home,” the Frau said. “They didn’t
find a single clue.”
“With all due respect, ma’am,” Wanda said, “the Bavarian police can’t
find clues like we can. Please, may we come inside?”
The distressed mother looked back and forth among the women and tried
to think of a reason not to let them, but she couldn’t.
“Fine,” she said. “I apologize, my house is a mess.”
Frau Himmelsbach escorted Bree and the Sisters Grimm inside her home.
The Frau offered them a seat in the sitting room and Cornelia and Bree
happily accepted. From the sofa they could see into Emmerich’s bedroom
through an open door in the hall. The walls were covered in posters of
superheroes. Bree remembered him saying he wanted to visit the United
States because that’s where all the superheroes lived. The memory made her
miss him even more.
“May we have a look around?” Frenda asked.
“As you wish,” the Frau said.
Frenda and Wanda went to work right away. They each removed a cross-
dimensional emission-tracking device from their purse; the device looked like
a long microphone connected to an old radio. They waved the microphone
parts around the house and the radio parts beeped as they went.
They searched the sitting room and kitchen, but didn’t find anything. The
search continued in Emmerich’s bedroom, and when they scanned the area by
his window, the machines beeped like crazy. Wanda looked to Bree and
Cornelia and with one nod she said a thousand words—someone from the
fairy-tale world had definitely been there. Bree’s hunch was right.
“Was Emmerich taken through the window?” Frenda asked.
“Yes,” Frau Himmelsbach said, surprised they knew. “The night it
happened, Emmerich was sleeping in his bedroom while I was in here
reading. I heard a noise, so I checked on him. His window was open and in
the distance I saw someone in a black cloak running away with Emmerich
over their shoulder.”
She broke into tears recalling the terrifying sight and Cornelia offered her
a handkerchief.
“I chased them, but they disappeared into the night,” the Frau said. “I
called the police and they came to the house every day for a week. They
never found anything, not even a fingerprint. How did you know he was
taken from the window?”
If they were going to tell the Frau the truth, Bree figured it was best to
start at the beginning.
“Shortly before Emmerich was taken, he and I made a crazy discovery,”
Bree said. “We did this thing, like a blood test, and it proved he and I are
actually related. Our blood matches DNA from the Brothers Grimm.”
“The Brothers Grimm?” the Frau asked.
“Yes,” Bree continued. “Which means Cornelia, Frenda, Wanda, and
myself are either related to you or to Emmerich’s father.”
The Frau was very confused. “I wouldn’t know either way,” she said.
“Emmerich isn’t my biological son—he was adopted.”
“Adopted?” Bree said in shock. “He never mentioned that.”
“That’s because I never told him,” Frau Himmelsbach said. “He was
abandoned when he was a baby. I didn’t want him living life thinking he was
unwanted.”
Everything Bree thought she knew suddenly changed. She quickly
abandoned her plan to tell the Frau about the fairy-tale world—clearly she
didn’t have all the facts straight.
“Where was he found?” Bree asked.
“Neuschwanstein Castle,” she said. “My father used to work nights there
as a security guard. One night, as he was patrolling the halls, he heard crying.
He followed the cries to the Singers’ Hall and found Emmerich wrapped up
in a blanket in the middle of the floor. Someone must have left him during a
tour earlier in the day. It was very strange, because my father swore he had
checked the room multiple times earlier that night and never saw the baby.”
Bree and the Sisters Grimm were all thinking the same thing: Emmerich
wasn’t related to the Brothers Grimm after all—he was from the fairy-tale
world! Someone must have crossed through the portal in the Singers’ Hall
and left him in the castle!
The Frau’s eyes suddenly grew wide and she covered her mouth fearfully.
“Wait a moment,” she said. “That reminds me of something I completely
forgot! There was a note pinned to his blanket the night he was found. Let me
see if I can find it.”
Emmerich’s mom went down the hall to her bedroom. They heard her
searching madly through all her drawers and belongings. A few minutes later,
she returned with a piece of parchment. Her hands were shaking, as if she
were holding a ransom note. She handed it to Bree, and the Sisters Grimm
gathered around her to read the note.

To whoever finds this child, please take him to a loving home that will
offer protection. His father is a very dangerous man and the child is
not safe with his mother. Should the father learn of his son’s existence,
the child will be in grave danger.

It appeared that Bree and the Sisters Grimm had helped the Frau uncover
a suspect in her son’s disappearance—Emmerich’s biological father!
“It was so many years ago, I forgot the note existed,” Frau Himmelsbach
confessed. “Even then, I didn’t take it seriously. I never thought they would
find him.”
“Should we take this to the police?” Wanda asked.
“No, we can’t!” the Frau exclaimed. “You see, I never legally adopted
Emmerich. I fell in love with him the minute my father brought him home. At
the time, we were very poor. I was afraid he would be taken away if we
called the police, so we kept it a secret. If they found out now, I would never
see him again.”
Bree had so many questions, she could barely see straight. She always
loved a good mystery novel, but she never thought her life would turn into
one.
“If you’re related to him, do you have any idea who Emmerich’s parents
are?” Frau Himmelsbach asked. “Do you know where they might have taken
him?”
“I’m afraid not,” Bree said. “But I know someone who might.”
CHAPTER SIX
 A BEWITCHING OFFER

The Masked Man was awoken by a throbbing headache. He opened his eyes
and discovered he was somewhere in the forest, but he had no recollection of
how he had gotten there. Even stranger, when he looked around he noticed
the ground was above his head and the smoky sky was below his feet.
After further inspection, he realized he was upside down. His cape was
caught on a tree branch and he was hanging several feet in the air. As he
slowly returned to full consciousness, the Masked Man remembered that
flying monkeys had dropped him there. He wasn’t sure how long he had been
hanging in the tree, but since he was still alive, he assumed his cape must
have broken his fall.
He reached toward the branch piercing his cape to set himself free. The
motion sent excruciating pain through his entire body and he screamed. The
pain was so bad, he couldn’t tell where it began or ended. Clearly, he had hit
more than one branch on his way down. The Masked Man tugged on his cape
and it ripped in half. He fell to the ground and landed on his back with a thud.
After a few minutes of lying on the ground, the Masked Man had a better
idea of where the pain was coming from. His left arm was definitely broken,
one of his right ribs was most likely cracked, and his right ankle was sprained
at best. Half his mask had been ripped off by something he collided with
during the fall, and bloody scratches covered one side of his face. Still, it was
a miracle he had survived.
He moaned as he struggled to his feet. All the blood in his head rushed to
the other parts of his body, making him woozy. He removed his damaged
cape and ripped his suit jacket into strips to make a sling for his arm.
The physical pain was unbearable, but he was almost thankful for it—it
was the only thing distracting him from his mental anguish.
The Masked Man was not a stranger to disappointment, but losing an
empire was one colossal setback he never saw coming. After a lifetime of
meticulous planning, he had finally achieved the power he had craved since
childhood. Only to then have it yanked away like a rug from underneath him.
After such a narrow escape from death, a different man would have
abandoned his quest for supremacy, but the Masked Man’s need for power
was like a disease—and fulfillment was the only cure. Like a phoenix, he
immediately began calculating his path out of the ashes. Somehow, some
way, he would reclaim his power and destroy the literary villains who had
taken it from him. But first, he needed to find a path out of the forest.
The Masked Man had no idea what part of the forest he had been dropped
in, so he hobbled through the trees in search of an indication. After hours of
limping aimlessly through the woods, he only found more and more trees the
farther he went. Since the mythological creature had escaped captivity in the
Northern Palace dungeon, the Masked Man was as cautious and quiet as
possible just in case it was also wandering through the forest.
Eventually he stumbled upon a small clearing with three unusual boulders.
They were tall and stuck out from the ground like trees themselves. The
Masked Man had a seat against one of the boulders and tightened his
makeshift sling. But his rest was short-lived.
A commotion traveled through the woods nearby. The sound became
louder and louder as it moved closer and closer. It was a repetitive tremor,
like the marching of several pairs of metal boots—Winkie soldiers were
approaching! The Masked Man assumed the villains must have sent the
soldiers to retrieve his body. He was too wounded to outrun them, so he
dived into the bushes beside the boulders and was hidden from view.
A few moments later, two rows of a dozen Winkie soldiers entered the
clearing, but they weren’t alone. The soldiers were escorting the Wicked
Witch of the West, the Queen of Hearts, and Captain Hook through the
forest. The sight of the literary villains sent a rage through the Masked Man
that was so powerful, his injuries were temporarily numbed. There wasn’t a
word in existence to describe the anger coursing through his veins.
The Wicked Witch of the West, the Queen of Hearts, and Captain Hook
paced around the clearing like they were waiting for something to happen.
They didn’t appear to be looking for the Masked Man, so he wondered what
on earth they were doing in the woods.
“Well?” Captain Hook growled. “Where is she?”
“Are we certain we’re in the right place?” the Queen of Hearts asked.
The Wicked Witch of the West unrolled a scroll of parchment she held
tightly in her hand.
“I’m positive,” the Wicked Witch said. “Her instructions say, ‘Take the
path four miles into the Dwarf Forests and wait for me in the clearing of the
three stone trees.’ There hasn’t been another clearing for miles. This must be
it.”
As the Masked Man knew all too well, patience was not the villains’ forte.
The Wicked Witch, the Queen of Hearts, and Captain Hook became more
restless by the second.
“Well, whoever she is, I don’t like her,” Captain Hook snarled. “She has
some nerve to keep us waiting like this.”
“I want to hear what she’s offering,” the Queen of Hearts said. “But if it
isn’t appealing, and we’ve come all this way for nothing, I say we capture
her and—”
“Cut off her head?” the Wicked Witch asked mockingly. “There are other
ways to execute someone, you know—most of which are more entertaining
and far less messy.”
“Like dropping the Masked Man to his death?” Captain Hook said with a
nasty grin. “Watching him squirm and scream as he fell was rather fun,
wasn’t it? If only gravity affected everyone—my hook would be covered in
Peter Pan’s blood by now!”
The Queen of Hearts rolled her eyes. “I’m so sick of hearing that boy’s
name!” she hollered. “He’s a child, Captain! Let it go! From the way you
obsessively talk about him, I’d say he’s taken much more from you than just
your hand!”
Captain Hook intended to respond with a snippy comment, but the pirate
went quiet. He leaned against one of the boulders and placed his hook on his
hip, thinking about what the Queen of Hearts had just said.
From the bushes just beside Captain Hook, the Masked Man had a perfect
view of a revolver dangling from the captain’s belt. He was drawn to the
weapon like a moth to a flame. If he got his hands on it, with three quick
shots he could terminate the literary villains before the Winkie soldiers knew
what was happening!
Carefully, when they were all looking in the opposite direction, the
Masked Man reached his good hand toward the captain’s waist and
unfastened his holster.
It was a painful effort with his cracked rib and it took everything in him
not to scream. Slowly, he removed the revolver from the holster with the
captain none the wiser.
The Masked Man examined the gun—it had three bullets! He had exactly
what he needed to shoot the villains! He cocked it and aimed the weapon
back and forth at the three of them, indecisive about which one to kill first.
Captain Hook became agitated and started stomping around the clearing.
“I knew it was a trick!” he said in a huff. “We’ve been fooled! No one is
meeting us in the woods today!”
The Queen of Hearts and the Wicked Witch nodded in agreement. But just
as they were about to order the soldiers to take them back, they were
interrupted by a voice from outside the clearing.
“Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘Good things come to those who
wait’?”
The Masked Man lowered the revolver when he heard the voice. It
sounded awfully familiar.
The villains and the Winkie soldiers heard footsteps next and quickly
turned to see a hooded creature approaching them. The soldiers raised their
staffs toward the creature, but with a quick flick of its wrist, their weapons
crumbled into dirt. The creature stepped into the clearing and lowered its
hood—it was a beautiful woman with horns like a ram’s that curved around
the sides of her face.
“Morina,” the Masked Man whispered to himself. His desire to
assassinate the villains was quickly replaced by curiosity. What did she want
with them?
“Are you the witch they call Morina?” the Wicked Witch of the West
asked.
“I am,” Morina said. “And you must be the new leaders of this world. It’s
an honor to make your acquaintance. Defeating the kingdoms of humans and
fairies is no easy task—you’ve achieved what the witches have only dreamed
about for centuries.”
The villains shared a proud look and stood a little taller.
“Since you’re here, I’m assuming you received my letter?” Morina asked.
“It’s not every day we receive an invitation delivered by a crow,” the
Queen of Hearts said. “Now tell us, what is the ‘offer of a lifetime’ that you
wrote about?”
“It requires a lengthy explanation,” Morina said. “Please, have a seat.”
 The witch waved her hand toward the three boulders and they transformed
into large stone chairs for the villains to sit on. So far, the witch was very
impressive.
“You see, the witches of this world have always had a long and
unpleasant history with the people who ruled it,” Morina explained. “Before
you arrived there were rumors of an impending witch hunt. Those fears were
all but confirmed when the Masked Man became emperor. We were certain
that once he executed the royal families, it would only be a matter of time
before he ordered our extermination. But luckily, that’s all changed now that
you’ve taken his place.”
“If the Masked Man saw the witches as a threat, why should we view
things any differently?” Captain Hook asked.
“Because the three of you are much wiser than your predecessors,”
Morina said. “Why become enemies when we have a glorious opportunity to
become allies?”
The villains side-eyed one another. They weren’t pleased with where the
conversation was going.
“For your sake, I hope you’re offering us more than friendship,” the
Queen of Hearts warned.
Morina smiled and her eyes grew wide. They could tell friendship was
only the beginning of what she had to offer.
“Of course. I’ll cut to the chase,” she said. “Recently, I convinced the
other witches that the only way we could escape the pending genocide was by
leaving this world. We need a place to ourselves where we won’t be
controlled by fairies or ostracized by humans. So I formed a plan for the
witches to invade and conquer another dimension, known as the
Otherworld.”
The villains were instantly intrigued. “The Otherworld?” they asked in
unison.
“It’s a world very similar to this one, but far greater,” Morina explained.
“It has hundreds of countries, thousands of cities, and billions of people.
There are structures and machines you could only dream of, and more land
and sea than we would ever need. The best part is that this world operates
entirely without magic. With no fairies to limit us, we would be
unstoppable!”
Her passionate description was hypnotizing. Still, the villains wondered if
it was too good to be true.
“How can you prove it exists?” Captain Hook asked.
“Take a look for yourself,” Morina said.
The witch’s eyes suddenly lit up like the headlights of a car. Morina
magically transferred images of the Otherworld into the villains’ minds and
their eyes glowed as brightly as hers. Visions of London, Paris, Tokyo, and
New York City flashed before their eyes. They saw the Eiffel Tower, the
Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the
Taj Mahal.
The villains had never seen a world so grand and diverse before. The light
faded from their eyes, but was replaced by the glow of desire.
“How do we get to the Otherworld?” the Wicked Witch asked.
“The late Fairy Godmother has portals hidden all over the kingdoms,”
Morina said. “But each one is difficult to open, and the journey takes a toll on
anyone who’s not a practitioner of white magic.”
“Then how do the witches expect to cross over?” the Queen of Hearts
asked.
“As luck would have it, the two worlds are scheduled to collide very
soon,” Morina said. “A doorway will open that will bridge the worlds like
never before. Once it appears, we can charge into the Otherworld and take it
by storm!”
The villains’ suspicion grew as much as their interest.
“You seem to have it all figured out,” Captain Hook said. “What exactly
do the witches want from us?”
A devious smile grew on Morina’s face. This was the part she was most
excited to tell them.
“The witches don’t want anything from you,” she said.
“Then why do they want to become allies?” Captain Hook asked.
“You misheard me, Captain,” Morina said. “The witches don’t even know
I’m here. I was speaking for myself when I proposed an alliance.”
The villains shared a look, each more confused than the other. Morina
waved a hand over the dirt and a fourth boulder shot up from the ground. She
transformed it into a large stone throne, much taller than the villains’ chairs,
and she had a seat.
“I had every intention of leading the witches into the Otherworld,”
Morina explained. “Sadly, that leadership was stolen from me. Two witches
with seniority, the Snow Queen and the Sea Witch, have taken the operation
into their own clammy hands. But my frustration has taught me a valuable
lesson: Witches are not like wolves—we don’t belong in packs. Once we cross
into the Otherworld, we’ll fight one another for dominance until there is only
one of us left. So I’ve begun a new plan for after the witches conquer the
Otherworld.”
The villains shared a smile. Morina’s plan was starting to make sense—
and they liked where it was going.
“You’re going to betray them!” the Wicked Witch said eagerly.
“Precisely,” Morina said. “The Snow Queen and the Sea Witch plan to
cast a spell on the late Fairy Godmother’s granddaughter, a powerful young
fairy named Alex. They believe if they curse her strongly enough, they’ll be
able to turn the girl into a weapon and use her to vanquish the Otherworld.
I’m not convinced this will work. I believe there are more traditional ways of
invading a new territory.”
“You want our army!” the Queen of Hearts said.
Morina clapped her hands excitedly. “Exactly,” she said. “I say we let the
witches be our pawns. Let them invade the Otherworld and weaken its
defenses. Once they’ve both exhausted all their resources, we’ll charge into
the Otherworld and steal it from them! We’ll destroy Alex, the witches, and
whatever is left standing in our way!”
It was the most thrilling and lucrative offer the villains had ever received.
They were all fidgeting in their seats at the thought of the conquest. However,
they still didn’t know if Morina could be trusted.
“How do we know you won’t just betray us in the end, too?” Captain
Hook asked.
“We’ve already been deceived once by someone in this world—we won’t
let it happen again!” the Wicked Witch said.
“Unlike the Masked Man, I don’t bite off more than I can chew,” Morina
said. “We’ll divide the Otherworld evenly among us—we’ll each have our
own territory twice the size of this world. Surely that’s more than enough
land for each of us. Time is of the essence, so if you’re interested, I need to
know now. Do we have a deal, or not?”
The villains huddled together to discuss the situation privately, but Morina
could tell they had already made up their minds. They were creatures of greed
and couldn’t refuse.
 “We have a deal,” Captain Hook said. “But if you disappoint us, we’ll end
you just like we ended the Masked Man!”
Morina laughed loudly. “You think you killed the Masked Man?” she
asked.
“Of course we killed him,” the Queen of Hearts said. “No man could have
survived that fall!”
“Yes, but the Masked Man isn’t a man—he’s a roach,” Morina said
sharply. “Even if you cut off his head, he’d be back the very second a throne
was left unattended. We haven’t seen the last of him. But don’t worry, I have
something that will bring him to his knees should he try to sabotage our
plan.”
“And what is that?” the Wicked Witch asked.
The villains were curious, but not nearly as curious as the Masked Man
himself. He had very few possessions—what had the witch stolen?
“Not what, but who,” Morina said. “I’ve kidnapped his son, a boy named
Emmerich.”
“The Masked Man has a child?” Captain Hook asked.
“Not one he knows about,” Morina said. “But should he ever cross us, the
boy will stop him in his tracks.”
The Masked Man was so shocked, he dropped the revolver. He no longer
felt any of his injuries or the anger boiling inside him. He forgot all about
losing his empire and his desire to kill the villains. All he could feel was
adrenaline and his heartbeat. All he could think about was the son he never
knew he had.
“I should return to the witches before they get suspicious,” Morina said.
The witch stood from her stone throne and with a snap of her fingers, the
boulders all returned to normal. The villains were buzzing with anticipation.
If they could invade the Otherworld today, they wouldn’t hesitate.
“When will the invasion take place?” the Queen of Hearts asked. “We
want our soldiers to be prepared.”
“It won’t be long now,” Morina said. “When the time is right, we’ll strike.
I’ll be in touch.”
The witch covered her horns with her hood and disappeared into the trees.
The villains ordered the Winkie soldiers to escort them out of the woods and
practically skipped back to the Northern Palace.
The Masked Man was still so astonished, he stayed in the bushes long
after the villains were gone. Having a son presented him with a world of new
opportunities—opportunities he had never thought possible. If he played his
cards right, the Masked Man could regain much more than just his empire—
he could salvage everything that had been stolen from him.…
CHAPTER SEVEN
 THE CAPTAIN AND HER CREW

I packed you both a turkey sandwich, chips, yogurt, a banana, two bottles of
water, and a cookie,” Charlotte said. “There’s also a sweatshirt, a flashlight, a
Swiss Army knife, a first-aid kit, matches, and a compass.”
The twins’ mother handed them each a backpack full of the items she’d
packed. Alex and Conner appreciated the gesture, but traveling into a
fictitious dimension was very different from going on a camping trip.
“Thanks, Mom,” Alex said. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, this isn’t our first rodeo,” Conner said, and looked through his
backpack. “Oh cool, chocolate chip! Thanks!”
“It’s just a few things—I’ll feel better knowing you have them,” Charlotte
said. “So where’s your first stop? Any idea how long you’ll be gone for?”
Alex turned to Conner, just as curious as their mother. For the first time in
their lives, she was leaving all the planning to her brother. She had offered to
help a number of times, but Conner was determined to do everything himself.
Not insisting was a gamble on Alex’s part, but he seemed very confident he
had everything taken care of.
“First up is my short story ‘Starboardia,’” Conner said excitedly. “It’s a
pirate adventure set in the Caribbean Sea around the early 1700s. The story’s
about Captain Auburn Sally and her all-female crew as they search deserted
islands for buried treasure.”
Charlotte hid her concern behind a smile. “Sounds progressive,” she said.
“Don’t worry—we’ll be fine,” Conner said. “Auburn Sally is based on
Goldilocks. We’ll find her ship, tell her the situation, and bring her and her
crew back to the house. It’ll be easy.”
“If you say so,” Charlotte said, unconvinced.
“Go get ’em,” Bob said, and patted him on the back.
Conner had organized his writing neatly in a binder with tabs separating
the short stories. He opened the binder to the first page of “Starboardia” and
set it on the living room floor.
 “Are you sure there isn’t anything we need before we go?” Alex asked
one final time. “There’s nothing you’re overlooking or forgetting about?”
“Trust me. I’ve got everything under control,” he said. “If there’s one
thing I know inside out, it’s my short stories. I’ve actually been really looking
forward to this. I bet my characters will be excited to meet me!”
Traveling into the short stories had been all Conner could think about
since he’d first had the idea. Naturally, the circumstances to warrant the trip
were terrible, but he still felt like the luckiest author in the world. Who else
got to visit the worlds and meet the people that existed only in their
imagination? Conner often fantasized about seeing a film or a play based on
his writing one day, but this would be much better than that. It wouldn’t be
someone else’s interpretation or adaptation of his words; everything would be
purely as he’d envisioned it.
Conner removed Mother Goose’s flask, which contained the Portal
Potion, from his back pocket. He poured a couple of drops on the binder and
then stored the flask safely in his backpack. The pages illuminated like a
powerful spotlight, shining a bright beam of light toward the ceiling.
“Here we go!” Conner said. “Wish us luck!”
“Good luck!” Bob said. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
“Make good choices!” Charlotte said. “There’s also some sunscreen in
your bags if it’s sunny out!”
Alex and Conner strapped on their backpacks, stepped into the beam of
light, and disappeared from the house.
Just like it had when they traveled into The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,
Peter Pan, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Portal Potion first took
them into an endless space with nothing but words. Rather than printed text,
words were written all around them, as if there were hundreds of invisible
pencils moving through the air. Each word was in Conner’s messy
handwriting.
“Awesome!” Conner said. “It’s like we’ve stepped inside my brain!”
“You’ve got to work on your penmanship,” Alex noted.
The handwritten words stretched into shapes, then gained color and
texture, and finally transformed into the objects they described. Conner
watched in awe as the world of his first short story came to life around him.
Alex was excited, too, until she saw the words ocean waves stretching below
their feet.
 “Hey, Conner?” she said. “Should we be worried about—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the twins fell into an ocean that
formed under their feet. Strong waves crashed over them, pushing them
farther and farther below the water. The water was difficult to swim against,
but they kicked their way to the surface and spit out mouthfuls of salty water.
Conner saw his binder of short stories floating in the water nearby and
retrieved it before the waves carried it away. If he lost the binder, the twins
would lose their exit back into the Otherworld.
Alex angrily splashed water in her brother’s face. “Why didn’t you say we
needed a boat?” she asked.
“Sorry!” Conner said. “I forgot the first thing I described was the ocean!”
By now the handwritten words had finished forming the world of
“Starboardia” around them. They were bobbing up and down in the middle of
the Caribbean Sea. The air was so misty, they could barely see each other, let
alone any land or ships in the distance. Alex snapped her fingers and a small
wooden rowboat appeared in front of them.
The twins climbed aboard and caught their breath. Conner put the binder
in his backpack, where it would be safe. If anything happened to it, they
would have no way back home.
“Well, that was a rough start,” Alex said. “What’s the second thing you
described?”
“The Dolly Llama,” Conner said.
“The Dolly Llama?”
“It’s the name of Auburn Sally’s ship,” he said. “Don’t judge me, I
thought it was a funny name for a ship. We should see it any minute now.”
A towering shadow appeared in the mist—something very large headed
their way. The shadow grew larger and darker and details formed as it got
closer. Finally, the twins saw that it was a pirate ship sailing straight toward
their rowboat with no sign of slowing down. It was going to plow right into
them!
“Abandon boat!” Conner yelled.
The twins dived into the water just as the ship smashed into their rowboat,
crushing it to pieces. Once again, Alex and Conner were caught under the
vicious waves. They swam to the surface and were sloshed around the
choppy water as the pirate ship sailed right past them.
“Ahoy!” Conner yelled up at the ship. “Twins overboard! Help us!”
 A few seconds later, a rope ladder was rolled off the ship, and it landed in
the water next to the twins. They grabbed it, climbed up, pulled themselves
over the ship’s railing, and collapsed onto the lower deck. They were
drenched and coughing up seawater.
Alex looked up and saw a large black flag flying above the ship with a
llama skull on it.
“This must be the Dolly Llama,” Alex said. She pointed out the flag to
Conner, and a giant smile grew on his face. He leaped to his feet and helped
his sister to hers. The flag was proof they were in his short story.
“We made it!” he exclaimed. “Alex, we’re in ‘Starboardia’!”
His excitement was cut short when they heard footsteps nearby. A dozen
female pirates surrounded Alex and Conner, and they didn’t look friendly.
The pirates pointed their swords and rifles at the twins.
“Well, well, well,” said a woman with an eye patch. “Look what we have
here.”
“What are you two scallywags doing in the middle of the sea?” asked a
woman with enormous lips. “Too young to be in the navy, too fair to be
pirates.”
Conner almost stepped on a pirate behind him and jumped. Having no
legs, the pirate walked on her hands and held a dagger with her teeth.
“My guess is they were stowaways!” the legless pirate said. “I’m
surprised the sharks didn’t find them first!”
Conner couldn’t believe his characters were living and breathing before
his eyes. The women were just as rough, dirty, and sunburned as he had
imagined them. He grinned from ear to ear and jumped up and down.
“I’m so happy to see you guys!” he said.
The pirates tilted their heads at him like confused puppies. No one had
ever been happy to see them before.
“Guys, it’s me!” Conner said. “I’m Conner Bailey!”
The pirates raised their eyebrows and scratched their heads—should they
know who he was?
“Who?” asked a pirate with a round, flat face.
“Oh, come on.” Conner laughed. “I’m the author!”
“Author of what?” asked a pirate with bare feet.
“Of this story,” he said. “I created this ocean, I created this ship, and I
created all of you. Do you really not recognize me?”
 Conner thought for sure it would have clicked by now, but the pirates still
stared at him awkwardly, just as perplexed as before.
“He’s been marooned for too long—the boy’s gone mad,” said a pirate
with a peg leg, and the other pirates nodded in agreement.
Conner was getting frustrated. “I’m not crazy,” he said. “Look, where is
Auburn Sally? Let me talk to her. I’m sure she’ll straighten this whole thing
out. This is my own fault—I should have written you guys to be smarter.”
The pirates stopped looking puzzled and began staring daggers at him.
Alex covered her face and let out a sigh—this wasn’t going to be as easy as
her brother thought.
“Oooooh, Captain,” the pirate with the eye patch called. “There’s
someone down here who’d like to have a word with you!”
Suddenly, a woman did a backflip off the upper deck and landed directly
in front of the twins. She wore a large black hat, a long brown coat, tall boots,
and she had a sword and pistol attached to her thick belt. Alex knew this was
Auburn Sally from the minute she laid eyes on her. If her acrobatics weren’t
enough to give it away, the captain looked exactly like Goldilocks. The only
difference in their features was the captain’s long locks of auburn hair.
“Sally!” Conner said like he was seeing an old friend—because,
technically, he was. He stepped toward the captain to give her a hug, but
Auburn Sally quickly drew her pistol and aimed it at his head.
“Am I supposed to know you, boy?” Auburn Sally asked.
Conner was shocked by the treatment he was receiving from his own
characters. He had expected a warm and gracious welcome, but instead the
heroine of his story was holding a gun to his head. Without him none of them
would even exist! He wondered if this was what an underappreciated parent
felt like.
He held his hands up and backed away from the pistol. “Okay, time out!”
he said. “Everyone just calm down and let me explain! My name is Conner
Bailey, and this is my sister, Alex. I know this is hard to believe, but I’m your
creator! We are living in a short story I wrote for my eighth-grade English
class!”
Auburn Sally looked at him with more perplexity than that of all her crew
added together. “He’s got yellow fever,” she said. “Prepare the plank! We
need to get him off the ship at once!”
“I’m not sick, either!” Conner said. “Fine! If you don’t believe me, I’ll
prove it!”
He walked around the circle of women, pointing at each pirate.
“That’s Winking Wendy, Fish-Lips Lucy, Somersault Sydney, Pancake-
Face Patty, Stinky-Feet Phoebe, and that’s Peg-Leg Peggy,” he said.
“I prefer Margret,” said the pirate with the peg leg.
“Fine, Margret,” Conner said, and rolled his eyes. “In the back, that’s
High-Tide Tabitha, Catfish Kate, Too-Much-Rum Ronda, Big-Booty Bertha,
Not-So-Jolly Joan, and up in the crow’s nest, that’s Siren Sue. Your captain
is Auburn Sally, this ship is called the Dolly Llama, and you’re all searching
the Caribbean for buried treasure!”
Conner crossed his arms confidently and waited for their apologies. The
pirates were startled by how much he knew. They all looked at their captain,
waiting to see how she would respond.
“There’s only one explanation for how a young man we’ve never met
before could possibly know so much,” Auburn Sally said. “He’s a warlock!
Tie him and his sister up! We’ll burn them at the stake on the next island we
find!”
Before they knew it, the twins’ backpacks were yanked off and they were
pushed against the mainmast. The pirates wrapped ropes around their bodies,
binding their torsos to the ship. Conner was so mad, he turned bright red.
“Let us go or you’ll be sorry!” he yelled. “Just wait until I get home! I’m
going to write a sequel where you all get shipwrecked and have to eat your
boots to survive!”
The pirates laughed at his attempts to scare them. Winking Wendy pulled
the ropes even tighter just to spite him.
“Keep it up, Wendy! We’ll see who’s laughing when I have a seagull peck
out your other eye!” Conner warned. “Alex, can you believe this?”
“How did you expect them to react?” she asked. “What would you do if a
guy showed up out of nowhere and told us we were characters in his story?”
“I would punch him in the face for making everything so damn difficult!”
he said. “Alex, you’ve got to do something! Zap them with a sleeping spell,
turn them into sea horses—anything!”
“No!” Alex yelled. “I’ve been asking you for days if you needed any help
planning, and you told me you had everything under control! Well, so far we
almost drowned, we narrowly missed being crushed by a ship, and now we’re
being captured by your pirates! You and I have different definitions of under
control!”
“Alex, don’t be a child!” Conner said.
“Grow up, Conner!” she said. “This is your mess—you clean it up!”
“Fine, I will!” he yelled. “I don’t need you or your stupid magic! I’ll find
a way out of this myself!”
Although Alex and Conner were tied up right next to each other, they
each pretended the other wasn’t there and pouted in silence.
A strong ocean breeze began clearing the mist and uncovered the sun.
Soon the ship had a breathtaking view of the ocean surrounding it. There was
nothing to see but the bright blue Caribbean Sea for miles around them.
Captain Auburn Sally returned to the upper deck and wrapped her hands
around the large helm. She looked out at the open water and a radiant smile
spread across her face. There was nothing keeping her back and no one to
stop her; she was surrounded by an abundance of freedom and possibilities.
Conner remembered writing about that expression—it was the expression he
always wished the real Goldilocks could have more often.
“Once again, it’s a beautiful day to be a pirate,” Auburn Sally said to her
crew. “Ladies, lower the sales!”
The twins looked up, expecting the sails above them to come down and
fill with the ocean air. Instead, Siren Sue peeked out of the crow’s nest with a
treasure chest full of scarves, jewelry, hooks, and weapons. The other pirates
gathered below her with hands full of gold coins.
“You heard the captain—time to lower the sales!” Siren Sue announced.
“For a limited time, everything is half off! Scarves are two coins, earrings are
four coins, necklaces are six coins, and the rifles are eight coins! Get your
accessories while the sales are low!”
Siren Sue sold off the items to the pirates below until there was nothing
left in her chest. The women ogled their new purchases and showed them off
to one another. It absolutely baffled Alex, and when she glanced at Conner,
he looked just as confused as she did.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” he said. “I never wrote that.”
“Did you mean to write lower the sails? Like the normal sails on a ship?”
Alex asked.
“Oops,” Conner said. “I must have spelled it wrong.”
To his relief, once the sales were over, the pirates lowered the sails, too.
They were made from cream-colored cloth, the exact color of Porridge’s coat.
They filled with the ocean breeze, and the Dolly Llama sailed into the
horizon.
Auburn Sally turned the ship’s wheel back and forth as she guided her
vessel through the rough waters. She kept a watchful eye on the entire
horizon around them. The longer the ship sailed, the more a familiar
expression grew on her face—one that the twins had seen Goldilocks wear
many times when they’d first met her. The captain seemed a little sad, like
she was hoping something would appear in the distance, but it never came.
Conner recognized this face, too, and began to worry.
“Oh no,” he said. “We’re getting close to the part of the story when the
navy shows up.”
“How can you tell?” Alex asked.
“From the way Auburn Sally is looking out over the ocean longingly,” he
said. “The pirates are about to get company.”
Like clockwork, Siren Sue climbed down from the crow’s nest in a panic.
“Captain!” she shouted. “Look, in the east! A ship from the British Navy
is approaching!”
Auburn Sally quickly unfolded a long telescope and scanned the eastern
horizon. Alex and Conner squinted and could barely see a small speck
moving in the distance. The captain smiled as she spotted the ship—this was
what she had been hoping for.
“It looks like Admiral Jacobson has finally caught up with us,” Auburn
Sally announced to her crew.
“Any orders, Captain?” Winking Wendy asked.
“I’m tired of playing the admiral’s game of cat and mouse,” the captain
said. “Hoist the sails and prepare for battle!”
The pirates all saluted her and went to work right away. They loaded the
cannons on deck and sharpened their swords. The sails were rolled up and the
ship slowed down, allowing the admiral’s ship to gain on them. The small
speck the twins saw in the distance quickly grew into an enormous ship twice
the size of the Dolly Llama. Soon they could make out a British flag waving
from the tallest mast and the ship’s name painted along its side: the Royal
Tantrum.
While the pirates scurried around the deck preparing for battle, the captain
gazed at herself in a compact mirror. Auburn Sally applied lipstick and blush,
she brushed her hair to give it extra volume, and she wiped off all the
smudges on her clothes. The captain wasn’t getting ready for combat; she
was getting ready for a date!
“That’s how she prepares for battle?” Alex asked her brother.
Conner nodded bashfully. “Just wait,” he said. “In about five minutes it’s
all going to make perfect sense.”
When the Royal Tantrum was getting close to the Dolly Llama, the pirates
dropped the sails and sailed around the navy ship. The twins could see that
the Royal Tantrum’s lower deck was full of British sailors running amok.
They spotted Admiral Jacobson standing on the upper deck.
The admiral was posed regally, with one foot on the railing and a long
sword in his hand. He was a very handsome man with broad shoulders and
pitch-black hair in a neat ponytail. He wore a blue coat with several gold
buttons and badges. The closer the pirate ship sailed around the navy ship, the
more familiar he seemed.
“Conner, is it just me, or does the admiral look exactly like Jack?” Alex
asked.
She glanced between the captain and the admiral. Just like her brother
said, it all finally made sense.
“Oooooh,” Alex said. “I get it now. Auburn Sally is based on Goldilocks,
and the admiral is based on Jack. ‘Starboardia’ is a love story! That’s so
sweet!”
Conner grunted like his sister had just insinuated something very crude.
“Excuse me,” he said defensively. “‘Starboardia’ is a pirate adventure! It
might have elements of love, but it is absolutely not a love story!”
Alex raised an eyebrow at him. “Sure,” she said mockingly.
By now, the Dolly Llama was sailing around the Royal Tantrum with
gusto. The British sailors ran across the deck to watch the pirates circling
them. Winking Wendy took the wheel and Auburn Sally went to the railing to
see the admiral. She mimicked his pose on the railing of her own ship, and
the two commanders locked eyes. If Alex hadn’t known there was something
between them before, she definitely knew it now.
“Good afternoon, Admiral,” Auburn Sally said. “What brings you to this
part of the Caribbean today?”
“You’re a wanted woman, Auburn Sally,” the admiral said.
“You mean, by more than just you?” the captain said playfully. “Honestly,
Admiral, you’re so persistent, I’m starting to think you have a little crush on
me.”
The pirates roared with laughter. Even the navy soldiers were amused and
covered their mouths to hide their chuckles. The whole scene felt like it
should have happened in a high school hallway instead of the Caribbean Sea.
“The entire British Navy is just smitten with you, Captain,” the admiral
said. “They’ve asked me to personally escort you back to land. Come
willingly and I won’t sink your ship.”
“Admiral, may I remind you I am literally sailing circles around you,” she
said. “It’s your ship I’m worried about. I’d hate to destroy it and embarrass
you in front of all your men. By the way, nice tights, gentlemen!”
“So it’s going to be the hard way, is it?” Admiral Jacobson said with a
grin.
Auburn Sally laughed. “Oh, Admiral,” she said, “haven’t you learned by
now I’m the kind of girl who likes—”
“PLAYING HARD TO GET!” Conner yelled, finishing her sentence.
The captain and her crew quickly turned to him, wondering how on earth
he knew exactly what she had been planning to say.
“I told you this is my story,” Conner reminded them. “I wrote the cheesy
dialogue coming out of your mouths! Would you quit the innuendos and just
get to the battle already?”
Auburn Sally glared at him suspiciously for a moment, then turned to face
the admiral again.
“I agree with the warlock,” she said. “Ladies, open fire!”
As the Dolly Llama circled the Royal Tantrum, it was like the ships were
joined together in a dangerous waltz and the pirates were taking the lead.
They lit their cannons and fired them at the navy sailors, blasting large holes
in the British ship. The admiral’s sailors retaliated, but the pirate ship was
much smaller and moving fast, making it a harder target.
The few times the pirates were hit, the entire ship rattled and swayed in
the water. But the damage the navy was inflicting was nothing compared to
the mark the pirates were leaving. The sailors looked to the admiral for
guidance, but he seldom gave them orders. It was almost like he wanted to
lose.
Cannonballs and chunks of wood flew through the air. Parts of the navy
ship were set ablaze and the sky filled with smoke. Conner had written the
entire battle, but writing it was nothing like living it. Even though he knew
exactly what was going to happen, it was still terrifying to see it come to life.
“This is the most dangerous flirting I’ve ever seen!” Alex said.
“Don’t worry, the pirates win!” Conner said, then looked up at the
captain. “Sally, would you hurry up and tell your pirates to aim for the navy’s
cannons already? I don’t want to get splinters in my eyes!”
The thought had come into the captain’s head just a moment before
Conner suggested it. “How did you know I was—”
“JUST DO IT!” he yelled.
“Aim for their cannons, girls!” Auburn Sally ordered.
The pirates followed their captain’s orders and aimed their cannons at the
navy’s. They blasted them off the ship, leaving the Royal Tantrum virtually
defenseless. The pirates cheered and shook their swords at the sailors.
Winking Wendy jerked the wheel, and the Dolly Llama slammed into the
Royal Tantrum, bringing the pirate ship alongside it.
“Now let’s take their ship!” Auburn Sally ordered.
The pirates each grabbed a rope and swung aboard the navy ship. The
battle continued with hand-to-hand combat on the decks of the Royal
Tantrum. The sailors were barely trained for sailing and were no match for
the pirates attacking them.
Winking Wendy flashed her empty eye socket at the sailors, scaring them
and causing them to trip over themselves. Stinky-Feet Phoebe held her bare
feet against their noses, and the fumes made the men temporarily lose
consciousness. Having no legs made it easy for Somersault Sydney to tumble
into the sailors and knock them down like bowling pins. Pancake-Face Patty
seemed to enjoy head-butting the men, which explained the odd shape of her
skull. Big-Booty Bertha simply turned her backside to any of the sailors
charging toward her, and they bounced backward onto the deck.
Some of the pirates weren’t as efficient fighters. Siren Sue sang high notes
to hurt the sailors’ ears. Fish-Lips Lucy irritated them with slobbery kisses.
Too-Much-Rum Ronda drunkenly argued with the sailors about religion and
politics. Not-So-Jolly Joan simply cried on their shoulders. These pirates
offered perfect distractions for Peg-Leg Peggy (or “Margret”) to sneak up
behind the sailors and trip them with her wooden leg.
On the upper deck, Captain Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson walked
around each other with their swords raised. They were so lost in each other’s
eyes that they almost forgot they had to fight to keep up appearances. When
the two eventually started dueling, it resembled more of a passionate tango
than an actual sword fight.
“This is the most nonviolent violence I’ve ever witnessed,” Alex said.
“I kept it tame in case I had young readers,” Conner said.
“That explains why the antagonists are so simple,” she noted. “To be
honest, I was really worried about what kind of villains your imagination
would have come up with. I’m glad they’re just men in tights.”
“The navy sailors aren’t the bad guys in this story,” he said. “The bad
guys are way scarier. They’re based on people I’ve seen in nightmares. But
we’ll be long gone before they show up… I hope.”
Eventually, the sailors surrendered and the pirates rounded them up in the
center of the Royal Tantrum’s lower deck. Auburn Sally pushed Admiral
Jacobson off the upper deck, and his men caught him. The pirates raised their
weapons in celebration—they had won the battle!
“You’ve lost, Admiral,” Auburn Sally said. “The British Navy is going to
be so disappointed.”
“Sometimes a man fails in order to win,” the admiral said with a smirk.
The navy sailors were stripped of their weapons, and their hands were tied
behind their backs. The pirates placed a plank between ships and forced the
sailors to cross it and board the Dolly Llama. Once everyone aboard the
Royal Tantrum had been taken prisoner, the pirates blasted the navy ship with
cannonballs until it sank.
“Put the prisoners in the cells belowdecks,” Auburn Sally ordered, and
glanced at the twins. “And I mean all the prisoners.”
The pirates untied the twins and pushed them along with the sailors.
“Oh no,” Conner said. “The bad guys are going to show up soon! I’ve got
to convince Auburn Sally I’m the author of this story before they get here!”
“I’m willing to help you if it speeds things up,” Alex said with a sigh.
“Well, I’m not willing to accept your help yet,” he said. “I told you I can
take care of this on my own!”
Conner managed to push past the pirates manhandling him and his sister.
He dashed across the deck, but just before he was in reach of Auburn Sally,
he was tripped by Somersault Sydney and tackled by Catfish Kate and High-
Tide Tabitha.
“Captain, don’t lock us up!” he pleaded from underneath the pirates. “I’m
warning you! Something really bad is about to happen, but you can avoid it if
you just listen to me!”
Auburn Sally laughed at his warning. “Take him away,” she said, and
turned her back on him.
The pirates forced Conner to his feet and dragged him away, but he
wasn’t ready to give up.
“I know what you stole from SMOKY-SAILS SAM!” Conner yelled.
The entire ship suddenly froze as if he’d shouted something obscene. Alex
could tell that all the pirates and sailors knew who her brother was talking
about. Just the mention of the name Smoky-Sails Sam sent a collective chill
down their spines.
Auburn Sally turned back to Conner with large, fearful eyes. He continued
his warning, desperate for her to listen to him.
“He knows what you stole from him, too—he knows about everything
that happened on the island!” Conner said. “Smoky-Sails Sam is looking for
you and your crew right now! He’s going to see the smoke from this battle
and be here before sunrise tomorrow!”
Conner knew that if anything would get through to her this would be it.
The captain looked him up and down but didn’t say a word.
“Your orders, Captain?” Catfish Kate asked.
Auburn Sally put on a brave face for her crew. “Throw this boy and his
sister in the cells with the others,” she said. “If he has tall tales to tell, he can
share them with the other prisoners.”
Auburn Sally turned around and faced the ocean. Conner struggled against
the pirates, but it was no use. They were too strong to break free from—that’s
how he had written them. Conner and Alex were pushed down the steps to
the cells belowdecks with the sailors.
“Well, that totally worked,” Alex said. “Are you sure you don’t want my
help?”
“Give it a minute,” Conner said. “She’ll come around—she’ll have to.”
The captain looked down at the burning wreckage of the Royal Tantrum,
and her eyes followed the trails of smoke ascending into the sky. Once all the
sailors and the twins were belowdecks and there were no pirates around to
bear witness, she pulled out a necklace she kept hidden in her shirt. Dangling
from a golden chain was a bloodred ruby the size of a human heart.
While she refused to believe everything Conner had said, she couldn’t
deny that he possessed extraordinary knowledge of her ship and crew. If what
he said about Smoky-Sails Sam was even remotely accurate, then the
captain’s greatest nightmare was about to come true.
CHAPTER EIGHT
 THE WRATH OF SMOKY-SAILS
SAM

Things were calm belowdecks on the Dolly Llama. Alex and Conner shared
a small cell, while Admiral Jacobson and his men occupied four larger ones.
Everyone was silent, not from the embarrassment of defeat, but from the
sheer exhaustion of the battle. In all fairness, the sailors didn’t seem
disappointed by their loss and sat rather comfortably in the cells. Many were
stretched out and gently rocked to sleep by the sway of the ship.
“Don’t worry, men,” Admiral Jacobson said as he paced around his cell.
“We will find a way off this vessel and bring the pirates to justice! Those
criminals may imprison us now, but soon we shall escape and make the
British Navy proud!”
The sailors looked around the cells to see whom the Admiral was talking
to, because none of them were too worried or eager to change the situation.
After months of strenuous labor operating the Royal Tantrum, imprisonment
was a nice change of pace for them.
“Save it, Admiral,” Conner said. “The whole crew knows you’ve got the
hots for Auburn Sally. No one is expecting to escape anytime soon.”
The admiral was outraged by his insinuation. “How dare you suggest I
welcomed the sinking of my ship or allowed pirates to capture my men!” he
said. “I would never betray Britain with affection for a scoundrel like Captain
Auburn Sally!”
Conner sighed and shook his head. “Raise your hand if you knew this was
going to happen,” he said. “Come on, don’t be shy.”
He raised his hand and Alex quickly followed. One by one, the sailors
raised their hands, too, and the admiral was faced with a rude awakening.
Despite his efforts to shield it, the heart on his sleeve was just as visible as
the badges of honor on his coat.
“You mean, you’ve all known the entire time?” he asked.
 The sailors nodded in unison with the twins.
“To be honest, Admiral,” said the first mate, “I don’t think any of us knew
you were trying to hide it. We don’t hold it against you, though. The whole
reason we joined the navy in the first place was to have an adventure, and
there’s never been a dull moment chasing these dames around the sea.”
The admiral wanted to argue further, but the jig was clearly up. Instead of
clearing his reputation, he just shrugged and had a seat on the floor.
“Well, I suppose that’s a relief, then,” Jacobson said.
The admiral lost all desire to form an escape plan. He put his feet up on
the metal bars and enjoyed the quiet and calm of the cells with the rest of his
crew. Conner, on the other hand, was growing more agitated by the second.
His mission to locate and recruit his characters was going to be much more
difficult now that he had refused his sister’s help.
“So what happens next in this story?” Alex asked with a yawn.
“Auburn Sally is going to invite Admiral Jacobson to dinner in her
chambers,” Conner said. “They’ll admit their affection for each other and
then Jacobson will convince his sailors to join Auburn Sally’s crew of
pirates.”
“Nice,” Alex said. “And you still think ‘Starboardia’ isn’t a love story?”
Conner grunted. “Okay, fine—it’s a love story,” he said. “You’ve
identified your brother as a big sap. Are you happy now?”
Alex laughed. “I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to admit it,” she
said. “Plenty of men write romances.”
“I never meant to write a romance,” Conner said. “I just thought Jack and
Goldilocks had a really cool story. Everyone wants to be a hero, but Jack
gave it up to be with the person he loved. He didn’t care what people thought
of him—Goldilocks was more important to him than his reputation. It takes
courage to face a giant, but it takes a true hero to stand up to the world. I
guess I wanted to celebrate that by putting it into my own story.”
A smile grew on Alex’s face as she listened to her brother. He kept his
feelings hidden behind an emotional brick wall, but every so often she
managed to knock a hole through it and peek inside.
“You’re not a sap, but you’re definitely a hopeless romantic,” she said. “I
think Mrs. Peters was right. You’re going to learn a lot about yourself
traveling through these stories.”
Conner didn’t want to agree with her, but he knew she was right. “Oh
brother,” he said. “Next thing you know, I’ll be collecting porcelain dolls and
listening to polka music.”
The doors opened and Winking Wendy and Somersault Sydney walked in.
They rattled the cell bars with their weapons to disturb their captives, but the
tranquil sailors didn’t even look up. The pirates unlocked the admiral’s cell
and pulled him out by the ponytail.
“Ouch!” Jacobson shouted. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“The captain wants you to join her for dinner,” Winking Wendy said.
The sailors hooted and whistled, making the admiral blush. Winking
Wendy flashed them her empty eye socket and they quickly quieted down.
The pirates unlocked the door of the twins’ cell next.
“What’s going on?” Conner asked.
“Captain wants you two to join her as well,” Somersault Sydney said.
Conner wasn’t expecting this. Up to this moment, every beat of the story
had followed his writing without a hitch. He hoped it meant his warning
about Smoky-Sails Sam had caught the captain’s attention.
The pirates escorted the twins and the admiral through the Dolly Llama to
the upper deck. They opened a pair of double doors and pushed the twins and
the admiral into the captain’s quarters.
Auburn Sally’s private chambers were the most elegant part of the ship.
The walls were covered in red wallpaper and gold crown molding. A crystal
chandelier hung over a long wooden table set for four. The captain looked
like she was deep in thought when they arrived. She sat in the back of her
chambers at a desk with several maps of the Caribbean spread across it. She
was sitting with one foot up and spun a dagger on the desk like a dreidel. Her
hat and coat were hung on a rack beside the desk, exposing her full head of
long wavy hair.
“Your guests, Captain,” Winking Wendy said as she presented the twins
and the admiral.
“Thank you,” Auburn Sally said. “You may leave us.”
Winking Wendy and Somersault Sydney left the chambers, shutting the
double doors behind them. Conner had written the next part of the story as a
romantic dinner between the captain and the admiral, but obviously things
had changed. As soon as they entered, Auburn Sally fixated on him with an
inquisitive, unwavering stare.
“Since you seem to know everything, I imagine there’s no point in
pretending the admiral and I are adversaries,” she said.
“Nope,” Conner said. “You guys are in a complicated long-distance
relationship.”
“Just for the record,” Alex chimed in, “I think it’s very romantic.”
Conner gave his sister a dirty look—she was never going to let it go. The
admiral glanced between the twins and the captain, waiting for someone to
fill him in.
“Will someone explain how this lad knows so much about us?” he asked.
“According to him, we’re just characters in a story he’s written,” Auburn
Sally said with amusement. “He believes everything in this world is just a
figment of his imagination.”
Conner didn’t appreciate the disdainful tone in her voice. The admiral
looked at him just like everyone else had after hearing the pronouncement.
“Have I done or said anything to contradict it?” Conner asked. “Because
I’m pretty sure I’ve been right about everything so far.”
Auburn Sally glared at him and a challenging look came to her face.
“I have something hidden underneath my shirt,” the captain said. “There
are only four people alive who know it exists. Two are in this room, and one
is the Queen of England. Guess correctly, and I might take you more
seriously.”
Conner knew exactly what she was referring to and didn’t waste a minute
to prove it. “You’re wearing a necklace called the Heart of the Caribbean,” he
said. “It’s the most prized piece of jewelry in the Western Hemisphere. It was
given to Governor Connelly by Queen Anne as a token of her appreciation
for governing the small island of Saint Ballena.”
The intensity in Auburn Sally’s face dissolved and her mouth fell open.
She and the admiral were completely dumbfounded. The captain pulled on a
gold chain around her neck and lifted a large ruby necklace out of her blouse.
The ruby was brighter than the crown molding and the chandelier put
together.
Conner pointed at the jewel. “That’s what you stole from Smoky-Sails
Sam,” he said. “And you’re wrong, by the way. There are five people alive
who know it exists, seven including my sister and me. A pirate named Killy
Billy saw you steal it. He’s the one who told Smoky-Sails Sam you have it,
and now Sam is on his way to take it back.”
Alex was usually really good about filling in the blanks, but the lack of
detail was getting frustrating.
“Would you mind sharing with the rest of the class who Smoky-Sails Sam
is?” she asked.
Conner hesitated. He knew the story like the back of his hand; it just
wasn’t a pleasant one to share.
“Smoky-Sails Sam is the most feared pirate in the Caribbean,” he
explained. “He’s so powerful, the British Navy refuses to go anywhere near
him. He has a fleet of five ships and hundreds of pirates. His ships burn rows
of torches above their sails, leaving trails of smoke through the sky, so the
whole Caribbean knows where they’ve been and where they’re headed. They
obliterate any ship they encounter, whether it’s a threat or not.”
Alex gulped. This was exactly the kind of villain she was afraid her
brother would create.
“He sounds charming,” Alex said. “How did he become so powerful?”
“Smoky-Sails Sam used to be a slave,” Conner said. “He was captured
from an African village by slave traders and brought to the Caribbean on a
slave ship. However, on the way over, he broke the chains that bound him
and led the other slaves in a mutiny. They killed the slave traders and took
over the ship. Sam became the new captain, the liberated slaves became his
crew, and he renamed the ship the Vengeance.
“Unfortunately, the power went to Sam’s head. His crew wanted to go
home, but Sam wanted to continue on and seek more revenge. He sailed the
Vengeance to the small island of Saint Ballena and ordered his men to raid it.
Governor Connelly sent word to the British Navy that they were under attack,
but since the island was so small and valueless, the navy abandoned them.
The governor and all the men on Saint Ballena were killed and their families
were forced to work as servants.
“Since there was no government or authority on Saint Ballena, criminals
from all over the Caribbean sailed there and joined Sam. Soon, he had
enough men to form a fleet of pirate ships. They terrorized all the colonies
nearby, growing stronger and stronger after every target they hit. The
liberated slaves from the Vengeance wanted nothing to do with it, so they
stole a ship from Sam’s fleet and headed back to Africa. Sam was so
outraged, he sailed after them and sank their ship. The smoky debris from the
destruction is how Sam became known as Smoky-Sails Sam, and the whole
Caribbean learned of his ruthlessness.
 “As time went on, Smoky-Sails Sam had a daughter named Sumire.
Governor Connelly’s only child, a girl named Christine, was forced to work
as her maid. The young women became very close and loved each other like
sisters. Sumire helped Christine plan an escape from Saint Ballena. The Heart
of the Caribbean was the only object of Governor Connelly’s that Smoky-
Sails Sam did not destroy, so Christine stole it back before she left. It didn’t
take long before Smoky-Sails Sam realized it was missing. To save her
friend, Sumire took the blame. Rather than showing his only child any mercy,
Smoky-Sails Sam made a gruesome example out of her. He cut her throat in
front of his entire fleet, further proving his brutality, and no one ever stole
from him again.
“Christine escaped from the island and sold the Heart of the Caribbean to
a jewel merchant, but then stole it back the following day. The money she
had acquired in the sale was enough to buy her own ship and hire a crew. She
named the ship the Dolly Llama, and became known throughout the
Caribbean as—”
“Auburn Sally!” Alex said, finishing her brother’s sentence.
“Correct,” Conner said. “When Jacobson became an admiral, his first
assignment was to capture the sailing thief Auburn Sally. It was love at first
sight, and they’ve been chasing each other around the Caribbean ever since.
What the captain doesn’t know is that Killy Billy told Smoky-Sails Sam that
he saw her steal the Heart of the Caribbean. Sam’s been following the Dolly
Llama through the sea, too, and is getting closer by the minute. Since Sally’s
the only person who’s stolen something from him and lived to see another
day, he wants to make another gruesome example out of her.”
“Conner, that backstory is so dark! Why would you write something so
dreadful?” Alex asked.
“I told you, it was based on a nightmare I had,” he said. “Besides, it’s not
like real pirates were any better.”
Conner turned to Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson with desperation in
his eyes. “Now do you believe I created you?” he asked.
The captain and the admiral were both astonished by Conner’s familiarity
with their lives. Whoever he was, wherever he came from, they could no
longer deny there was something unique and eerie about him.
“I believe you put pen to paper about all of this, but I’m still not
convinced you created this world or the people in it,” Auburn Sally said.
 Conner had rolled his eyes so many times, his sockets were getting sore.
“So you think I plagiarized it?” he asked.
“Explorers are quick to claim the places they find, but they don’t create
the land they raise flags on,” Auburn Sally said. “Perhaps all writers are
nothing more than subconscious explorers, sailing across a sea of other
worlds, and you’re just the first to discover ours.”
Alex was intrigued by the captain’s theory. She wondered if every
fictional story she had ever read was more of an author’s discovery than his
or her idea. Perhaps imagination was a subconscious map to uncharted
worlds of the cosmos. It certainly would explain why her grandmother’s
Portal Potion was so effective—it didn’t create the world the text described,
but simply provided a doorway into a world that had always been there.
Conner was getting a headache trying to understand it himself. “That
sounds really deep and complex, but you’re missing the point!” he said. “I’m
trying to tell you that Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet is headed here right now! He’s
planning to kill all of you and take back the Heart of the Caribbean! But if
you listen to us, we can help you avoid him!”
“How?” Admiral Jacobson asked.
“By helping my sister and me,” Conner explained. “I’m about to make
you an offer—it’s going to be hard to grasp, so we might want to sit for this.”
Auburn Sally, the admiral, and the twins took seats around the long table.
“Do you want me to explain this part?” Alex asked.
“I told you, I got this,” Conner said, and cleared his throat. “You know
that subconscious sea of other worlds you were just talking about? Well, for
all intents and purposes, it exists! There’s another world that’s in big trouble
—one I didn’t write about. All our friends live there and a horrible army has
invaded it. My sister and I are recruiting people from a bunch of different
worlds to help us fight the army. If you come with us and help us defeat
them, we’ll bring you right back here.”
Conner grinned like he was being more than generous. The captain and
the admiral exchanged a puzzled look—something didn’t add up.
“That’s not an offer,” Auburn Sally said. “An offer is an exchange.
Taking us away from our problems, making us fight for you, then bringing us
right back to our problems isn’t an exchange—it’s just more work for us.”
“She’s got a point,” Alex said.
“Okay,” Conner said, and quickly thought about something appealing to
offer. “Well, if you help us, I’ll tell you how you defeat Smoky-Sails Sam.”
The captain and the admiral nodded as they considered it. Jacobson
whispered something into Auburn Sally’s ear, like an attorney speaking with
his client.
“So you’re telling us we defeat Smoky-Sails Sam?” the captain asked.
“Regardless of whether we help you or not?”
“Duh!” Conner said with a snort. “That’s the whole point of this story.”
Alex slapped a hand against her forehead. Her brother was oblivious to
what Auburn Sally was implying. She appointed herself as his attorney and
pulled him aside to whisper in his ear.
“Conner, you basically just told them they don’t need to help you,” she
whispered. “You need to make them an offer they can’t refuse.”
“Oh, dang it!” he said. “I should never have written them to be so
cunning. Thanks for the heads-up.”
The twins turned back to the captain and the admiral. Conner let out a
low, slow, and menacing chuckle.
“Silly, silly Sally,” he said. “What you don’t know is that the road to
victory is long and tedious. There are dozens of battles, hundreds of
casualties, and thousands of miles awaiting you. It takes years to learn what I
could tell you in a matter of seconds. If you help us, I will give you the
shortcut to your triumph, and save you a ton of hassle. You’d be sparing your
ship from a lot of damage and even saving the lives of a few of your crew.”
Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson whispered between themselves again.
They both knew they would have to face Smoky-Sails Sam eventually; there
was no way of getting around it. If Conner could supply them with
information on how to do it efficiently, they would have to consider his offer
seriously.
They turned to the twins and presented a counteroffer.
“We’ll help you if you help us defeat Smoky-Sails Sam first,” Auburn
Sally said.
Conner was about to rip his hair out. He silently vowed never to write
another smart character into one of his stories ever again.
“Deal,” he said through a clenched jaw.
Conner and Auburn Sally shook hands over the table. Alex wasn’t
convinced the captain and the admiral were being truthful and pulled her
brother aside one final time.
 “How do you know they’re being honest?” she whispered.
“Because I wrote them to be just as trustworthy as they are calculating,”
he said. “And I’ll remind them about that shipwreck in the sequel!”
“Let’s discuss the details of our victory over dinner,” Auburn Sally said.
“I’m famished. Negotiating always gives me an appetite.”
It had been hours since their last meal, so the twins were glad to hear it.
The captain rang a bell and a few moments later, Fish-Lips Lucy entered the
chambers pushing a cart with several covered serving trays. The quarters
filled with a delectable aroma and the twins began salivating and their
stomachs growled.
“Conner, what did you write for dinner?” Alex asked.
“Tomato soup, mashed potatoes, and rosary chicken,” Conner said, and
licked his lips.
“Rosary chicken?” she asked. “Did you mean rotisserie chicken?”
“Oh no,” he said fearfully.
Fish-Lips Lucy uncovered the largest serving tray, and rather than a
delicious roasted chicken, she revealed a live chicken wearing a Catholic
rosary. The chicken panicked and fluttered amok around the chambers,
squawking loudly and shedding feathers wherever she went.
Auburn Sally gave Fish-Lips Lucy a dirty look. “The chicken seems a
little undercooked,” she said.
“Sorry, Captain,” Fish-Lips Lucy said. “I knew I was forgetting
something.”
Suddenly, Siren Sue burst into the chambers, causing everyone to jump
and forget all about the chicken. Her eyes were large and she was out of
breath, like she had come in a hurry.
“Forgive my intrusion, Captain!” Siren Sue huffed. “I saw smoke rising
on the horizon behind the ship! I inspected it and saw a fleet of ships coming
this way! Smoky-Sails Sam is following us!”
The captain, the admiral, and the twins stood up so fast, they knocked
silverware and plates off the table. Auburn Sally darted to the large windows
in the back of her chambers and looked through a telescope beside her desk.
“It’s Smoky-Sails Sam, all right,” the captain said, and then jerked her
head toward Conner. “I thought you said we had until morning.”
He racked his brain trying to figure out why they were so early. “It’s
because I rushed the battle!” he said. “There was smoke in the sky earlier
than there should have been! You and the admiral were supposed to exchange
a lot more witty banter before the first cannon fired! I accidentally gave
Smoky-Sails Sam a head start!”
Auburn Sally put on her hat and coat and immediately went into damage-
control mode. “Lucy and Sue, tell the women to drop the sails at once,” she
ordered. “I want every candle and lantern on this ship extinguished—we’ll be
harder to follow in darkness. Also, free the sailors from the cells. If they want
to survive the night, they’ll need to join our crew.”
The pirates nodded and ran out of the chambers to inform the others.
Auburn Sally hurried out on deck and the twins and Jacobson followed. She
wrapped her hands around the Dolly Llama’s wheel and looked to Conner.
“Well?” she asked. “What do we need to do to defeat Smoky-Sails Sam?”
“It’s not a what, it’s a where,” he said. “We need to head west
immediately, sail through the Parakeet Islands, and pass the Isle of Skulls.”
The captain didn’t waste a moment asking questions. She spun the wheel
so hard to her right, it almost broke off.
“Conner, where are you taking us?” Alex asked.
“Starboardia,” he said.
CHAPTER NINE
 SAILING CIRCLES AROUND THE
BERMUDA TRIANGLE

The pirates scurried across the decks of the Dolly Llama like panicked ants.
They blew out all the torches, lanterns, and candles until the ship sailed in
total darkness. With the moon as their only source of light, they lowered the
sails and took full advantage of the night breeze. The sailors were released
from the cells belowdecks and put to work loading and positioning the
cannons. All it took was the mention of Smoky-Sails Sam’s name and the
sailors didn’t hesitate in joining the Dolly Llama’s crew.
Admiral Jacobson stood at the front of the ship with one leg on the
bowsprit. He scanned the sea ahead to make sure there was nothing the ship
might collide with in the darkness.
“It looks clear,” he called up to the captain. “I’ll let you know if that
changes.”
Auburn Sally kept a firm grip on her ship’s wheel and a close eye on the
approaching fleet of pirates behind them. With every minute, Smoky-Sails
Sam was getting closer and closer to the Dolly Llama. The captain prayed
Conner’s shortcut would work and they could finally defeat Sam and his
crew.
“You said to sail west to the Parakeet Islands, pass the Isle of Skulls, and
then what do we do?” she asked.
“Then we’ll sail to the right in a circle for an entire day,” he said. “The
legend states, if you travel starboard for a day in the Bermuda Triangle, it’ll
take you to Starboardia—hence the name.”
“Yes, I know the legend,” Auburn Sally said. “Every pirate has heard of
the myth. Are you sure it’s real?”
Conner was getting tired of repeating himself. “Yes, I’m positive,” he
said. “It’s how you guys find it in the end of the story. I’m sure it’ll work
now, too.”
 “So, Starboardia is an actual location?” Alex asked.
“Why else would I name this story ‘Starboardia’?” her brother said.
Alex shrugged. “I thought it was just a cute name based on pirate lingo,”
she said. “Is there also a Portworld or Portopia or Portland?”
Conner froze and thought about it for a moment. “No, but that would be a
great name for a sequel!” he said. “Hmm… I should write that down.”
“Let’s stay focused on the original,” Alex said. “Is Starboardia a
country?”
“Starboardia is an ancient island,” Auburn Sally said. “It’s believed to be
the only surviving land from the Lost City of Atlantis. It’s nearly impossible
to find because it floats around the Bermuda Triangle like a large ship, and
never passes through the same part of the sea twice. They say the debris from
all shipwrecks in the Caribbean eventually washes ashore on the island’s
coast.”
“Nice backstory, Conner,” Alex said. “How will Starboardia help us
defeat Smoky-Sails Sam?”
“Hundreds of years ago, when the Europeans first settled in the Americas,
an indigenous tribe was forced off their island by the white men who settled
there,” Auburn Sally said. “The tribe was outnumbered ten to one, so they
had no choice but to vacate and hope they would find another island
somewhere else in the Caribbean. They set sail and were caught in the middle
of a horrible hurricane. When the storm finally cleared, they saw Starboardia
in the distance. The tribe used all the wreckage on the island to build a
magnificent fortress. The structure was carefully designed to help the tribe
defeat an enemy that outnumbered them ten to one, should they ever be
invaded again.”
“Oh, I get it now,” Alex said. “We’re going to use the fortress! How fun!”
“Exactly,” Conner said. “Including Sally’s pirates and Jacobson’s sailors,
we have about fifty people on this ship. Smoky-Sails Sam has five ships and
about a hundred pirates on each. The fortress should do the trick.”
Suddenly, the twins and the captain were startled by loud eruptions
coming from above. Everyone aboard the Dolly Llama looked up and saw red
fireworks exploding in the sky. With each bright burst, the ocean and the ship
were briefly illuminated by red light.
“Where are those coming from?” Conner asked.
They turned to the fleet of pirate ships in the distance and saw another set
of fireworks being launched from their decks.
“Smoky-Sails Sam,” Auburn Sally said as the fireworks exploded
overhead. “They’re using them to see us in the dark! Clever scum!”
Since all the light on board the Dolly Llama had been extinguished, the
approaching fleet had lost track of them, and were headed in a slightly
different direction. But now with the fireworks illuminating the ship, the fleet
repositioned itself and was once again headed straight for the Dolly Llama.
“What do we do now?” Conner asked.
“Pray the wind is stronger with us than it is with them,” the captain said.
“Otherwise, we might not make it to Starboardia.”
Conner paced the deck trying to think of a way to put distance between
their ship and the fleet. At this point, Alex didn’t care how much her brother
opposed her help; she wasn’t going to let his pride jeopardize their mission.
When he was facing the other way, Alex covertly pointed at the sky. Almost
instantaneously, thick clouds blew in and covered the stars. The atmosphere
became too humid for the fireworks to go off.
Now that the fireworks were taken care of, the Dolly Llama needed a
boost so the fleet wouldn’t catch up. Alex took a deep breath and blew air
toward the sails. A strong breeze came out of nowhere and pushed the ship a
little faster, causing everyone on board to jolt.
“Captain, it’s a miracle!” Siren Sue shouted from the crow’s nest. “Clouds
are blocking the fireworks and the wind is making us sail faster!”
The pirates and the sailors cheered in celebration. Auburn Sally stared at
the sky in awe. Conner was surprised at how quickly the weather had
changed in their favor—it was a little too convenient.
“Alex, cut it out!” Conner said. “I told you no magic!”
His sister shrugged innocently. “It wasn’t me,” she said. “Must be some
kind of tropical storm.”
“Nice try,” Conner said. “But tropical storms don’t blow clouds in one
direction and ships in the other!”
Auburn Sally eyed the sky again and noticed the strange phenomenon he
was referring to. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Your sister is causing this?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I forgot to mention she has magic powers—but don’t
encourage her! This is my story and my project. I can get us to Starboardia
and help you defeat Smoky-Sails Sam on my own.”
Conner stomped off the upper deck and joined Admiral Jacobson at the
front of the ship. Auburn Sally’s imagination had been broadened so much by
the twins, this wasn’t hard to grasp. She sauntered over to Alex and casually
leaned on the railing.
“Men,” she said with a sigh. “They always want to feel like they’re in
control.”
“It’s my own fault,” Alex said. “He asked for my help earlier and I kind of
embarrassed him about it. Now he thinks he has to prove himself to me.”
“Rule number one on my ship: No woman is allowed to take orders from
a man,” Auburn Sally said.
“That’s a philosophy I could get behind,” Alex said.
“Then as your captain, I order you to leave Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet a few
presents behind us,” the captain said. “If you get my drift.”
Alex and Auburn Sally shared a smile—Alex knew exactly what she
meant. She turned toward the fleet in the distance and pointed at the water.
Several clusters of sharp rocks stuck out of the ocean behind the ship.
“Attagirl,” the captain said.
The obstructions and the wind helped the Dolly Llama gain distance from
Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet. Soon the pirate ships had shrunk so much in the
distance behind them, they could barely see the trails of smoke emitting from
their sails.
The Dolly Llama sailed through the night, and by sunrise the Parakeet
Islands appeared on the horizon ahead. Unfortunately, the rising sun gave the
fleet of pirate ships a better view of the ocean, and the Dolly Llama was
spotted again.
The ship entered a narrow channel between the Parakeet Islands, and the
crew learned why Conner had named them so. The islands were covered with
thousands and thousands of colorful birds. It was a beautiful sight, but the
farther the ship sailed through the channel, the louder the birds’ squawking
became. As if they were competing for the pirates’ attention, each bird tried
to out sing the next. When the Dolly Llama reached the center of the channel,
the sound became deafening. The whole ship covered their ears and moaned.
“PUT A SOCK IN IT!” Conner yelled at the birds.
“PUT A SOCK IN IT! PUT A SOCK IN IT!” the parakeets mimicked.
“PUT A SOCK IN IT! PUT A SOCK IN IT!”
Alex couldn’t stand the noise any longer. She snapped her fingers and
birdseed rained on the islands. All the parakeets swooped down from the
trees to feed and went silent. Conner shot his sister a look—but one of
gratitude.
“Okay, I suppose some magic won’t hurt,” he said. “But nothing crazy—
the Dolly Llama’s crew has to feel accomplished, too.”
A twinkle came into Admiral Jacobson’s eye as he watched the birds eat
the seeds. “You know, the red worm is known to cleanse a parakeet’s
stomach,” he said. “Perhaps we could leave a nasty storm behind for Sam’s
fleet?”
The twins made eye contact and mischievous smiles grew across their
faces.
“Oh, Conner,” Alex said, and clasped her hands together. “Please, please,
please let me leave red worms behind!”
“Yeah—you’ve got to,” he said. “It’s just too good.”
Alex jumped up and down giddily and snapped her fingers again. Small
red worms rained down on the islands, too, and the parakeets happily dug in.
The admiral and the twins laughed as they imagined the mess the birds would
leave on the fleet later that day.
A few hours after exiting the channel, the Dolly Llama sailed past the Isle
of Skulls. It was a creepy island with a permanent layer of fog hanging in the
air. The shore had no beaches and was lined with dark eerie caves. The land
was littered with large rocks that had been chiseled to look like large human
skulls. Alex could have sworn the heads were following her as the ship
passed them.
“Hey, Conner, watch this,” Alex said. She cleared her throat and all the
skulls started singing an obnoxious song by a boy band the twins knew from
the radio.

“Oh baaaaby, please don’t play this game,

My heart is so full of shame,
My love cannot be tamed,
I’m a moth and you’re the flame,
And even though it’s lame,
Remind me of your naaaaame!”

The twins were laughing so hard, their stomachs hurt. The rest of the ship
screamed and pointed at the possessed skulls.
“It’s the devil’s music!” Winking Wendy shouted.
The pirates waved crucifixes at the island and shot the rocks with their
rifles. Alex figured the joke had gone far enough. She cleared her throat again
and the skulls returned to normal.
Once the Isle of Skulls was far behind the Dolly Llama, Conner excitedly
ran from the front of the ship to Auburn Sally’s side on the upper deck.
“All right, we’ve passed the Isle of Skulls!” he said. “Time to travel
starboard.”
“And if we sail in circles to the right all night, we’ll find Starboardia?”
Auburn Sally asked.
“More like Starboardia will find us,” Conner said.
The captain stepped to the side of the wheel and presented it to him.
“Would you like to do the honors, Commander Bailey?” she asked.
“Oh gosh,” he said. “Sure!”
Conner had never even driven a car, so he wasn’t going to turn down the
opportunity to steer a pirate ship. He put his hands on the wheel and could
have sworn he felt the ship’s heartbeat pulsing through it. It was an
exhilarating sensation—with just the slightest movement, he had the power to
change the ship’s course and the crew’s destiny. It reminded him of the
feeling he had when he wrote, but it was ten times stronger. He was living
and breathing the adventure he had only dreamed about.
Naturally, being chased by a fleet of dangerous pirates took some fun out
of steering the ship, but it was thrilling nonetheless. Since they arrived, he
had been angry, frustrated, anxious, and scared by different things, but the
excitement of being in the world he created never left him. He wished every
author got to feel what he was feeling right now.
As the sun started setting, it illuminated the ocean waves around the Dolly
Llama like golden zebra stripes. Conner turned the wheel as far to the right as
it would go and tied it down.
“Starboardia, here we come!” he said.
That night, all the pirates and sailors gathered in Auburn Sally’s chambers
so Conner could tell them what to expect the next day. It was strange to
prepare them for a place he technically had never been before. He could only
rely on the images in his head and hope they matched. The Rosary Chicken
got cozy on Alex’s lap and she stroked her feathers while she listened to her
brother.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and chicken,” Conner said. “Welcome to Starboardia
101. I’m assuming by now, whether through eavesdropping or word of
mouth, everyone knows why we’re headed to Starboardia.”
Not-So-Jolly Joan and Too-Much-Rum Ronda raised their hands.
“No one ever tells me anything,” Not-So-Jolly Joan said, and burst into
tears.
“I was told, but I don’t remember,” Too-Much-Rum Ronda said, and
hiccupped so hard, she fell off her seat.
“No worries, I’ll explain,” Conner said. “We are outnumbered ten to one
by Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet. There is a fortress on Starboardia that was
designed for a group in our exact predicament. The fortress is filled with
hundreds of booby traps; there are trapdoors, human slingshots, swinging
blades, endless mazes, and much more. Once the fortress is activated, the
traps will go off every thirty seconds.
“Unless you want to be crushed, cut in half, or fall to your death—listen
to this part very carefully. There are safe zones throughout the fortress
painted in red. Five seconds before the traps are set off, you will hear a bell—
when you hear the bell, find one of those safe zones immediately! I’ve come
up with a motto to help those of us who have difficulty remembering
directions. Repeat after me: In Red, Ain’t Dead.”
“In Red, Ain’t Dead,” the pirates and sailors repeated.
“Very good,” Conner said. “Now, once we’re on the island and find the
fortress, we have to wait until all of Smoky-Sails Sam’s men are inside
before we can activate it. The fortress sort of works like a clock—a very
heavy net of boulders pulls on gears located at the top, which turn and
operate all the booby traps. The net is held up by twenty-one ropes and needs
all twenty-one ropes to support it. Once one of these ropes is cut, another
rope will snap under pressure every thirty seconds, causing the net of
boulders to drop a little lower, which pulls on the gears, and activates the
booby traps. Does this all make sense?”
The pirates and sailors stared at Conner like he was speaking another
language. Even Alex was having a hard time following along.
“Those are just the logistics in case anyone was wondering,” Conner said.
“There’s only one thing you have to remember—which is?”
“In Red, Ain’t Dead!” the pirates and sailors said in unison. They were
very proud of themselves and looked like dogs expecting treats.
“Great,” Conner said. “Everybody break a leg tomorrow! Oh—no offense,
Somersault Sydney!”
“None taken,” the legless pirate said.
As the Dolly Llama sailed in large starboard loops around the Bermuda
Triangle, the pirates, sailors, and the twins went to bed to rest up for the
following day. In the sleeping quarters belowdecks, rows of white hammocks
were stacked from floor to ceiling. It was chilly down there, so Alex and
Conner were thankful their mother had packed sweatshirts for them.
The hammocks swung with the sway of the ship and were very relaxing.
Soon the pirates and the sailors fell asleep. Their snoring was so loud, the
twins were worried the sides of the ship would burst open. Alex glanced
down at the hammock below hers to see if Conner was still awake.
“Oh good, you’re still up, too,” she said.
“I don’t think the dead could sleep through this,” he said.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked.
“A little bit,” he said with a long sigh. “I just hope it all works out so the
trip here hasn’t been for nothing.”
Alex could sense the doubt in his voice and she felt a little guilty. Had she
been more supportive and encouraging in the beginning, he probably
wouldn’t be so cynical.
“Everything is going to be fine,” Alex said. “You’re a really great author,
Conner. I keep forgetting to tell you how impressed I am by all of this. Every
beat of your story is so well thought out and entertaining. The more it
unfolds, the more intrigued I become. I can’t wait for you to write your first
book—there are millions of little Alexes and Conners around the world who
are going to love it.”
Conner was touched by his sister’s words. It meant a lot coming from her,
since he was convinced she had read every book in the world.
“Thanks, Alex,” he said. “I would never have met Jack and Goldilocks if
it weren’t for you—so thanks for supplying all the inspiration.”
“But think of everything you came up with all on your own,” she said.
“You would have done just fine without me. I wish I had your imagination.
What’s your secret to making a story so good? Do you have any writing
tricks or rituals?”
Conner had never thought about it before. He thought back to the very
first time he wrote a story and recalled a tool that had helped him write ever
since.
“Whenever I write, I imagine everything in Dad’s voice,” he said. “I try to
describe everything with the same energy and enthusiasm he had when he
read stories to us. Sometimes when I miss him the most, writing makes me
feel like he’s there with me. It’s almost like he’s telling me the story and I’m
just writing it down.”
The thought brought tears to their eyes. Alex knew exactly what he meant,
because her dad’s narrative was ingrained in her mind, too. Whenever they
thought about John Bailey, they didn’t think about the night they lost him, the
funeral that followed, or the days they spent mourning him. They
remembered the nights when he’d read them fairy tales by the fireplace in
their old house, the animated gestures he’d make while acting out every
scene, and the different voices he made for each character. Their father was a
storyteller in every sense of the word, and Conner had inherited the same gift.
“Dad would be so proud of you, Conner,” Alex said. “He would have
loved everything about Starboardia.”
“He’d be proud of you, too, Alex,” Conner said. “Other fifteen-year-olds
would have given up on saving the fairy-tale world by now.”
The twins laughed at the thought of another brother-and-sister duo going
to the same extremes. Alex cast a spell so their roommates snored in silence,
and the twins let the sway of the ship rock them to sleep, too.
CHAPTER TEN
 STARBOARDIA

The following morning, the entire ship was awoken by a loud clanging
coming from above deck.
“LAAAAAND HOOOO!” Siren Sue yelled, and rang the bell in the
crow’s nest.
The pirates, the sailors, and the twins quickly swung out of their
hammocks and ran up the steps to the lower deck. They dashed to the
bowsprit and joined Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson at the front of the
ship. The sun had just started rising and slowly shed light on an island
directly ahead. It had a beach littered with wooden debris and was covered in
a thick forest of tropical trees. The crew could make out the tip of a large
fortress towering over the trees in the center of the island.
“That’s it!” Conner yelled. “That’s Starboardia!”
There wasn’t any time to rejoice because the discovery was immediately
followed by the thunderous sounds of firing cannons.
“We’ve got company!” Siren Sue shouted, and pointed to the ocean
behind the Dolly Llama.
Like a stampede, the twins, the pirates, and the sailors ran across the
lower deck, climbed the steps to the upper deck, and crowded the railing at
the back of the ship. The five large pirate ships of Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet
were so close, they could smell the torches burning above the sails—and the
ships were headed right for them.
The ship in the center was the largest and Alex knew it was the
Vengeance without having to ask. It was the color of charcoal and flew
enormous black sails. The Vengeance’s sides and bow were covered in metal
spikes, making it resemble a large floating cactus. A flag with an image of
broken shackles flew proudly at the top of the tallest mast.
All the decks of the five-ship fleet were swarming with pirates eager for a
fight. The Vengeance fired its cannons at the Dolly Llama and cannonballs
splashed in the water beside it. Each splash crept closer and closer to the ship.
 “We’ve got to get to the island now!” Conner yelled.
Auburn Sally stood on a barrel and whistled to get her crew’s attention.
“Everyone gather as many weapons as you can carry and head to the boats,”
she ordered. “We’ll lower ourselves to the water and row to the island.”
“They’re going to blow the ship apart!” Admiral Jacobson said. “We
don’t have time to lower the boats! We have to abandon ship now!”
Conner shared a fearful look with his sister and they read each other’s
mind—a little more magic couldn’t hurt.
“Everyone follow the captain’s orders,” Alex said. “I’ll keep the pirates
busy until we get off the ship.”
The crew nodded and split up at once. Alex stood on the railing and faced
the oncoming fleet. She twirled her index fingers in the air and two cyclones
rose out of the water between the Dolly Llama and the Vengeance. She
pointed at the fleet and the cyclones whizzed toward the pirate ships like
bulls released from a pen. The pirates abandoned their vessels and dived into
the water. The cyclones crashed into two of the five ships and obliterated
them completely.
While Alex stalled the fleet, the crew aboard the Dolly Llama unloaded
four heavy chests filled with weapons. They stuffed their vests, pants, coats,
and boots with as many rifles, swords, and daggers as possible. Conner ran
belowdecks and retrieved the twins’ backpacks. As he headed back up, he
found the Rosary Chicken on the steps behind him.
“Bagawk?” the chicken asked, tilting her head.
“I’m sorry, but battle is no place for a chicken,” Conner said. “You need
to stay on the ship.”
“Bagawk!” she squawked, horribly offended.
“I’m not calling you a chicken—you are a chicken!” he said. “This is
ridiculous! I’m arguing with a typo!”
The Rosary Chicken puffed out her feathers and extended her wings. She
had the heart of a turkey, the determination of a duck, and the bravery of a
goose. Misspelled or not, she was ready for combat.
“Fine, but you have to stay in my bag,” Conner said.
He tucked the Rosary Chicken into his backpack and left the zipper open
enough so the chicken could peek her head out. Conner met his sister on the
upper deck and handed Alex her backpack. They joined Auburn Sally and
Admiral Jacobson in a boat and were lowered into the water. Once the entire
crew was off the Dolly Llama, they rowed the boats to the shore of
Starboardia.
Smoky-Sails Sam’s men weren’t too far behind. All five hundred pirates
swam after the Dolly Llama’s crew. There was so much splashing, it looked
like a school of hungry sharks was headed for the island.
“Everyone follow me,” Conner told the crew. “The fortress is just through
these trees!”
Alex, Auburn Sally, Admiral Jacobson, and the crew followed Conner as
he raced through the tropical trees. The admiral’s first mate gave Somersault
Sydney a piggyback ride so she could keep up. Except for a few birds and a
couple of large iguanas, the island was mostly deserted. They emerged into a
clearing in the center of the island and found the legendary fortress of
Starboardia.
“My God,” Auburn Sally said.
“Conner.” Alex gasped. “It’s amazing!”
It was a breathtaking sight and everyone stopped in their tracks to take it
in. The fortress was like a large Mayan pyramid constructed entirely out of
broken pieces from hundreds of old ships. Everywhere they looked they
spotted masts, bowsprits, sails, planks, bows, wheels, rudders, crow’s nests,
and flags all pieced together to form one massive structure.
It was twelve levels high and looked like a labyrinth of ladders, slides,
rope bridges, swings, and tunnels. It was like a gigantic jungle gym, but it
definitely wasn’t for children. The structure was built on stilts over a shallow
lake with sharp rocks that was home to dozens of alligators. The only way
inside the pyramid was up a rickety staircase that led to the first level.
The Dolly Llama’s crew carefully climbed up the steps and entered the
fortress. The inside was hollow and the bottom floor gave a perfect view of
the eleven levels above it. Hanging in the very center of the pyramid like a
chandelier was a heavy net filled with a dozen large boulders. It hung from a
chain connected to a ceiling full of gears, and was secured by twenty-one
ropes. Scattered all over the floor were the safe areas outlined in red that
Conner had informed them about.
“Well,” Alex said as she glanced around the fortress uneasily. “Is it like
you were expecting?”
“That and more,” Conner said breathlessly. “I feel like I planted a seed
and all this grew.”
 The crew heard the trees rustling outside the pyramid. They walked to the
edge of the first level and saw Smoky-Sails Sam’s army of five hundred
pirates emerge into the clearing. The men were so rugged and filthy, they
made Auburn Sally’s pirates look like contestants in a beauty pageant. They
were soaking wet from their swim, and thanks to the red worms Alex had left
on the Parakeet Islands, their raggedy clothes were stained with bird
droppings. After a wild-goose chase around the Caribbean, the pirates were
ready to take out their aggression on the Dolly Llama’s crew.
Most of the pirates were covered in tattoos and had missing limbs, teeth,
eyeballs, and ears. Their appendages weren’t replaced by traditional hooks
and peg legs, but rather by daggers, razors blades, and metal spears.
Smoky-Sails Sam was in the last group of pirates to step into the clearing.
He was seven feet tall with a long dreadlock beard. His coat, hat, belt, and
boots were all made from black leather. A long sword proportionate to his
height and a silver revolver hung from his belt. His appearance was just as
intimidating as his reputation.
The pirate known as Killy Billy stood beside him. He had large bulging
eyes and greasy hair. He was shirtless and his chest, arms, and back were
covered with tattooed tally marks—each strike represented someone he had
killed.
Just like the Dolly Llama crew had, Smoky-Sails Sam’s men stared up at
the structure in astonishment, as if they were facing a forgotten Wonder of
the World.
“What do we have here,” Smoky-Sails Sam said in a deep, raspy voice. “It
looks like little Christine Connelly has discovered Starboardia.”
“Look: up there!” Killy Billy said. He pointed to the crew on the first
level of the fortress. “It’s the thief and her hags! And they have Admiral
Jacobson and his navy dogs with them!”
“Joined forces to finish me off, have you?” Smoky-Sails Sam chuckled.
“It’s going to take more than an ancient tree house to defeat my men.”
The Dolly Llama’s crew gulped in fear. Auburn Sally put on a brave face
and roared with laughter.
“Did you hear that?” the captain asked. “Smoky-Sails Sam thinks he has
men! It’s funny, because I don’t see any men below us—I only see swine.”
The pirates roared angrily at the women and men on the pyramid.
“Don’t worry, boys,” Smoky-Sails Sam said. “We’ll put Captain Auburn
Sally in her place! Just like everyone who steals from me, she’ll end up at the
bottom of the Atlantic! ATTACK!”
The pirates charged up the staircase and stormed into the fortress. The
Dolly Llama crew spread out on all levels of the pyramid and Smoky-Sails
Sam’s men followed them. The clanking of swords echoed through the
structure as Auburn Sally’s women and Admiral Jacobson’s men bravely
took on Smoky-Sails Sam’s crew.
Once all five hundred pirates were inside the structure, Auburn Sally
pointed her pistol at the ropes supporting the net of boulders and fired. The
net descended several feet, pulling on the gears above, and the fortress came
to life.
The pyramid worked more like a clock than Conner was anticipating. As
the gears were pulled by the net, all twelve levels of the fortress rotated. The
even levels turned clockwise, the odd levels turned counterclockwise, and the
booby traps were triggered. The first chime went off and the Dolly Llama
crew quickly found areas marked in red to stand on, crouch under, or hide
behind.
Winking Wendy and the navy sailors were fighting Sam’s pirates on the
first level. They stepped into red circles drawn on the floor and watched as all
the pirates around them fell through trapdoors and plunged into the lake
below the fortress.
The alligators splashed around happily—the conflict above was going to
supply the biggest meal they ever had.
The second level of the pyramid was covered in rope bridges. Sam’s
pirates chased Fish-Lips Lucy around one side and Pancake-Face Patty
around the other, and the women met on a red platform between bridges.
When the traps were set off, the bridges snapped like large slingshots and the
pirates were launched off the pyramid.
Stinky-Feet Phoebe and Peg-Leg Peggy were dueling pirates in a long
wooden tunnel between the third and fourth levels. Five seconds after the first
chime went off, the women curled into a cubby outlined in red. A massive
stone rolled through the tunnel, knocking Smoky-Sails Sam’s men down like
bowling pins. It rolled right past the women without leaving a scratch.
On the fifth level, Somersault Sydney and the admiral’s first mate were
battling eight of Sam’s pirates each. They slid under a red platform just as
stone blocks from the ceiling fell on top of their attackers. Somersault Sydney
barely made it under the platform in time—she would have lost her legs if
she hadn’t already.
High-Tide Tabitha and Catfish Kate were fighting pirates back to back on
a staircase between the sixth and seventh levels. They stayed on the only red
step, and the rest of the staircase flattened into a slide. The pirates slid down
the slide and into a shoot that dropped them into the lake below.
Big-Booty Bertha had taken a wrong turn on the eighth level and was
surrounded by Smoky-Sails Sam’s pirates. The floor was tiled and Big-Booty
Bertha sighed with relief when she looked down and saw she was standing on
the only red tile. Sharp spikes shot up from the floor and pierced through the
pirates’ feet. They grabbed their injured feet and hopped around in pain.
Unfortunately, Big-Booty Bertha’s backside was larger than the tile and one
of her buttocks was scratched by a spike.
On the ninth level of the pyramid, Siren Sue was running from pirates
shooting rifles at her. She dived behind a red door just as an avalanche of
logs swept through the level. The pirates were knocked down and rolled off
the pyramid with the logs.
Not-So-Jolly Joan and Too-Much-Rum Ronda wandered around the tenth
level looking for someplace safe to hide. They weren’t paying attention and
fell right through a trapdoor and directly into a cage. It wasn’t an ideal place
to be, but the women figured they were safe enough. Too-Much-Rum Ronda
and Not-So-Jolly Joan shared a bottle of rum while they watched their friends
battle the pirates around them.
The floor of the eleventh level was covered with unstable floorboards that
spun, teetered, or just broke as soon as they were stepped on. Auburn Sally
and Admiral Jacobson fought Sam’s pirates while keeping their balance on
the stable floorboards painted red. To make matters worse, the eleventh level
was also subjected to large swinging blades that the captain and the admiral
had to avoid. The blades sliced into Sam’s pirates and knocked them out of
the pyramid.
From the twelfth and top level of the pyramid, Alex and Conner could see
the Dolly Llama crew fighting the pirates on all the levels below. Conner
heard something rattling at the bottom of his backpack and found that the
Rosary Chicken had laid a bunch of eggs inside it—the excitement was too
much for her.
“Not so brave now, are you?” Conner said.
 The Rosary Chicken lowered her head in shame. The twins threw the eggs
at the pirates below, causing them to slip and slide off the structure. They
caught the attention of Killy Billy, and the murderous pirate climbed up to
the twelfth level, bringing a gang of pirates with him.
“Here, kiddy kiddies,” the tattooed pirate called after them. “I’ve got
enough room on my right arm for two more victims!”
“Go take a long walk off a short plank!” Conner yelled back.
Killy Billy and the pirates chased the twins around the top of the fortress.
When they reached the south side, the floor crumbled under their feet. The
twins spotted red monkey bars above and grabbed them to keep from falling.
Unfortunately, Killy Billy and the pirates saw them, too, and hung from them
as well. They swung toward the twins and tried to knock them off.
The Rosary Chicken fluttered out of Conner’s backpack and began
pecking at one of the pirates’ fingers until they slipped from the bars. Then
she moved on to the next pirate. Soon, Killy Billy was the only pirate left
hanging. He kept one hand on the bars and reached for his rifle with the
other. Alex gave him a nasty look and all the tally marks tattooed on his body
magically turned into ticks. The pests dug into his skin and he screamed. He
lost his grip on the bars and fell all the way through the fortress and landed in
the lake below. The alligators dived after him, and Killy Billy never
resurfaced.
Alex and Conner swung across the bars to solid floor. The Rosary
Chicken crawled back into Conner’s backpack and boastfully clucked up at
him.
“Okay, you’ve redeemed yourself,” Conner said. “Don’t get a big head
about it. No one likes a cocky chicken.”
Every thirty seconds, another chime would ring, another rope would snap,
and the Dolly Llama crew would find another red zone to shield themselves
from the traps of the pyramid. Smoky-Sails Sam’s pirates weren’t so lucky.
His men were dropping like flies around the fortress. Soon, they were
reduced to half their original size, then to a quarter, and then the numbers
between Smoky-Sails Sam’s crew and the Dolly Llama crew were even. At
this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Sam’s men were outnumbered.
Smoky-Sails Sam didn’t care about his pirates as much as he cared about
retribution. He pushed his way through the structure, carefully avoiding the
traps, and headed for Auburn Sally.
 When eleven of the twenty-one ropes had snapped and the pyramid was
halfway through its course, all the traps ceased and the areas in red stopped
being safe zones. Instead, the red platforms, cubbies, and tiles started
transporting the Dolly Llama crew members to different levels throughout the
fortress.
Winking Wendy was catapulted from the first level to the third by a spring
hidden in the floor. Siren Sue was dropped into a slide on the ninth level that
spat her out on the seventh. The platforms High-Tide Tabitha and Catfish
Kate stood on were connected and turned into a lift—High-Tide Tabitha
descended into the level below, and her weight sent Catfish Kate into the
level above.
Alex and Conner were standing on a red ledge when it suddenly collapsed
and dumped them into a small cart. The cart rolled down a hidden track
through the pyramid, and the twins felt like they were on a roller coaster.
They tripped and pushed all the pirates as they zoomed past them and high-
fived the Dolly Llama crew as they went.
On the eleventh level, Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson ran across a
wooden bridge that suddenly dropped two levels down and swung through
the air by chain ropes. Like a faulty elevator, every thirty seconds the bridge
descended another two levels. The captain and the admiral would hop off the
bridge, help their crew fight the remaining pirates, and then ride it down
farther.
The element of surprise was exactly what the Dolly Llama crew needed to
defeat the remaining pirates of Smoky-Sails Sam’s fleet. The pirates lost all
sense of the whereabouts of the men and women they were fighting, which
left them confused and more vulnerable. By now there were fewer than fifty
of Sam’s pirates left in the fortress. Not wanting to end up in the lake or fall
into a trap, the remaining pirates evacuated the fortress and fled into the trees.
The Dolly Llama had successfully reduced Smoky-Sails Sam’s crew to
nothing, but there wasn’t cause for celebration yet. Smoky-Sails Sam himself
was nowhere to be found.
When the captain and the admiral’s bridge dropped to the fifth level,
Smoky-Sails Sam appeared out of nowhere and leaped onto the bridge with
his sword raised.
Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson fought the manic pirate as the bridge
swung and spun violently through the air. All three had to keep one hand on
the railing so they weren’t flung off it.
The Dolly Llama crew watched in horror as the bridge descended through
the center of the pyramid—but there was nothing anyone could do. The
twins’ cart reached the first level and slid across the floor. They narrowly
missed being crushed as the bridge crashed to the floor beside them.
Smoky-Sails Sam’s sword was bent in the crash, so he tossed it aside. The
large pirate picked up Auburn Sally by her coat and threw her across the
floor. Admiral Jacobson charged him with his sword raised above his head.
Smoky-Sails Sam swiftly removed the rifle from his belt and shot the admiral
directly in the chest.
“No!” Alex screamed.
“Admiral!” his first mate yelled.
Jacobson’s eyes fluttered shut and he collapsed on the floor. Smoky-Sails
Sam turned and aimed his rifle at Auburn Sally. Alex tried to think of
something magical to save the captain, but she was so distraught, her mind
went blank.
“Any last words, Christine?” Smoky-Sails Sam growled.
“Yes,” Auburn Sally said. “In Red, Ain’t Dead.”
The final chime rang through the structure. Smoky-Sails Sam looked to
the floor and saw he had thrown Auburn Sally directly into an area outlined
in red. The last rope snapped, and just as Smoky-Sails Sam glanced upward,
the heavy net of boulders fell directly on top of him. The Starboardia fortress
had finished the job.
It was so quiet, the Dolly Llama crew could hear one another’s heartbeats.
All eyes were on the slain admiral. Everyone assumed the captain was in
shock, because she just stared at Admiral Jacobson’s body as if he would get
up at any moment.
Tears rolled down Alex’s cheeks and she buried her face in her brother’s
shoulder. “This is so sad,” she said. “I can’t look.”
Conner rubbed his sister’s back as he looked around at the devastated men
and women throughout the structure. He scrunched his lips to hide a smile—
he knew something they didn’t.
Admiral Jacobson suddenly sat straight up with a loud gasp that startled
everyone in the pyramid. He pulled on a gold chain around his neck and lifted
the Heart of the Caribbean out from under his shirt. The bullet had been
stopped by the large ruby.
 “Ouch,” the admiral said as he rubbed his chest. “That still really hurt!”
As far as anyone was concerned, it was a miracle! The fortress vibrated
from the crew’s thankful cheers. When Alex saw her brother smiling, she hit
him in the chest.
“You knew that was going to happen the whole time, didn’t you?” she
asked. “You knew the admiral was going to live, and you just stood there and
let us think he had been killed! You were playing with our emotions for fun!”
His sister’s angry accusation made him laugh so hard, he could barely
breathe.
“I’m sorry, but I wanted to see your reaction to the end of the story,”
Conner confessed. “The fact that you were so invested in the characters and
didn’t see the surprise coming means I did something right, right?”
Alex was so mad at her brother, she turned her back and walked a few
steps away from him to calm down. Auburn Sally got to her feet and helped
the admiral to his.
“Aren’t you glad I gave you my heart?” Auburn Sally asked.
“Both times it saved my life,” Admiral Jacobson said.
The captain and the admiral shared a passionate kiss, and the Dolly Llama
crew whistled and hollered at the lovebirds.
“We did it!” Auburn Sally declared. “We defeated Smoky-Sails Sam and
his fleet! His reign of terror in the Caribbean is over!”
The men and women cheered even louder than before. They embraced
one another and held up their weapons in victory. Not-So-Jolly Joan and Too-
Much-Rum Ronda raised their bottle from inside the cage.
“And since Commander Bailey has so generously and bravely helped us
with our enemy, we must return the favor,” the admiral added.
The Dolly Llama crew went silent and their postures sank. They were
hoping to go on a vacation after defeating the most feared pirate on the ocean.
“How do we get there?” Auburn Sally asked. “I hope it’s not by sailing in
circles to the left.”
Conner pulled his binder of short stories out of his backpack and set it on
the floor. He flipped it open to the glowing pages of “Starboardia,” and the
beam of light illuminated the fortress.
“It’s much easier than that,” he said. “We just step through the beam of
light and we’ll be there in no time.”
The pirates and the sailors stared down at the glowing book nervously.
Their captain and admiral nodded at them reassuringly, but even they were a
little apprehensive. Conner tapped Alex on the shoulder.
“Are you ready to go home, or are you going to stay behind and pout a
little longer?” he asked with a sly grin.
It took everything in Alex not to smile back, but after a moment she
couldn’t resist.
“Okay—I suppose you got me,” she said. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have
been so worked up if I didn’t care about the characters so much. It’s a
testament to good writing, and you should be pleased with yourself. I
completely forgot we were even in your story. For a few moments there, I
truly believed with all my heart that we were living through… through…”
“What?” Conner asked.
“Well.” Alex laughed. “A pirate adventure.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
 CURSES

The Masked Man hobbled through the Dwarf Forests as quickly as his
injuries would let him. Anyone traveling through the forests alone had the
right to be worried, but with the mythological creature on the loose, the thick
trees around him were especially intimidating. He held Captain Hook’s
revolver tightly in his hand and dashed behind a tree whenever he heard a
noise nearby.
He followed a river deep into the forest until it split off into Dead Man’s
Creek. The Masked Man limped alongside the creek, and by nightfall he
reached the site where the Witches’ Brew used to stand on the banks of the
creek. The tavern was nothing but a pile of ruins now, and a hundred or so
witches were spread out around the creek.
The Masked Man hid behind a tree and searched the area for his son.
Although he had never seen him before, the Masked Man figured he’d be
easy to spot in the crowd of tattered women.
Just like the rest of the world, the witches had been chased out of their
homes throughout the kingdoms by the Literary Army. They fled to the forest
and formed a camp near their former headquarters, constructing huts from the
wreckage of the tavern. The witches sat casually in groups around campfires
and cauldrons. They chatted and flipped through spell books as if they were
magazines.
Whenever a campfire started dying out, Charcoaline would hawk a
flaming loogie into it and the fire would re-ignite. Tarantulene had spun a
large web between trees and feasted on bats and owls that got caught in it.
Serpentina’s long tongue picked the bugs crawling through Arboris’s bark
skin, which pestered Arboris greatly. Rat Mary glared and hissed at a dozen
cats that another witch had brought from home.
At the top of the pile of wreckage, two thrones had been erected. The
infamous Sea Witch sat on a seat made of multi-colored coral while she
supervised the camp of witches. She stroked her pet cuttlefish, which rested
in a bowl of salt water on the arm of her chair. Beside the Sea Witch, the
second throne was made entirely of ice that never melted, but the seat was
empty.
Morina leaned against a tree at the edge of the camp, keeping her distance
from the other witches. She scowled at the women around her with disdain.
She couldn’t wait to cross into the Otherworld and get rid of them. The
horned witch watched the moon like it was a clock, counting down the hours
till she would put her plan in motion.
The Masked Man had scanned the whole area for a child and finally
spotted a little boy chained to the tree Morina leaned on. The boy looked
around the camp of witches with large, terrified eyes like he had awoken to a
nightmare. The Masked Man was expecting the child to resemble him, but
Emmerich looked nothing like his father. His pale skin, rosy cheeks, and dark
hair were all trademarks of his mother.
“He’s the spitting image of Bo Peep,” the Masked Man whispered to
himself.
Unlike a normal father, the Masked Man didn’t fill with pride or
tenderness upon seeing his son for the first time, but only with the eagerness
of a possible opportunity. All he needed was to get Emmerich away from the
witches—he just didn’t know how or when.
A sudden chill filled the forest air, and all the witches stopped what they
were doing and looked toward the north. A wave of frost flowed down Dead
Man’s Creek and froze the water. They heard bells in the distance, and a
moment later the legendary Snow Queen appeared on a white sleigh pulled
down the creek by two monstrous polar bears.
Emmerich was so frightened by the bears, he closed his eyes and looked
the other way. The sleigh stopped in the center of the camp. Arboris and
Serpentina helped the blind Snow Queen down. She used a long icicle like a
cane. She held up a white sack and exposed her jagged teeth in a wide smile.
“I’ve found it!” the Snow Queen announced proudly. “I’ve found the
dust!”
All the witches were rather underwhelmed, but they didn’t dare show it on
their faces. Morina, on the other hand, couldn’t have looked more
unimpressed.
“Dust?” Morina asked. “You traveled all the way to the Northern
Mountains to bring back dust?”
 The Snow Queen growled and pointed her cane toward the sound of
Morina’s voice. “For someone so consumed with the future, you know
nothing about the past,” she said. “The contents of this bag will ensure our
conquest of the Otherworld.”
Morina grunted. “By all means, enlighten me,” she said. “What’s in the
sack?”
The other witches throughout the camp were curious, too, so they
gathered around the Snow Queen.
“Many years ago, before there were witches and before there were fairies,
the world was inhabited by angels and demons,” the Snow Queen said. “The
demons created a magic mirror that transformed the reflection of something
pleasant into something foul and grotesque. It made humans look like
hideous monsters and landscapes appear as wastelands. The demons got so
much pleasure out of torturing the world, they decided to fly the mirror to
heaven and torment the angels with it.
“As the demons flew up to heaven, the evil living inside the mirror
became so excited, it started to laugh. The closer to heaven they flew, the
harder the mirror laughed, until it cracked and vibrated. Just as the demons
reached the pearly gates, the mirror was so delighted, it burst into thousands
and thousands of pieces that rained onto the earth like dust. Most people
avoided the dust, but others weren’t so lucky. The people that got the dust in
their eyes never saw anything pleasurable again, but only the flawed and ugly
qualities of everything. Others breathed in the dust and their hearts were
filled with hate, anger, and jealousy.
“After centuries of sending blizzards through the kingdoms, I collected
the remaining specks,” the Snow Queen continued. “My snowflakes cleansed
the air and rinsed the land, and brought the dust specks back to me in the
North Mountains through evaporation.”
The witches were mesmerized by the story, but Morina was still
unenthused.
“And what do we need the dust for?” she asked.
The Sea Witch crawled down the pile of debris to join the other witches.
“The Snow Queen and I used the dust to curse Ezmia the Enchantress,”
the Sea Witch hissed. “Long before she became the dreaded Enchantress,
Ezmia was the late Fairy Godmother’s apprentice. The favoritism made all
the other fairies jealous, and poor Ezmia was often ostracized, heartbroken,
and lonely. Many times she would travel deep into the woods away from the
fairies and cry. Ezmia always found the same tree and wept into its roots as if
it were a friend’s shoulder. She cried so much, her tears watered the tree and
it grew taller than any other tree in the forest.
“Once this became a routine for Ezmia, the Snow Queen and I covered the
tree’s roots with the dust of the magic mirror. One day while she was
sobbing, she breathed in a piece of it. Immediately, her heartbreak, sorrow,
and loneliness were heightened. Her desire to become the next Fairy
Godmother and help people was replaced with the desire to seek revenge and
inflict pain on those who had wronged her.”
Shivers went up the witches’ spines as they recalled the Enchantress’s
terrifying reign over the fairy-tale world.
“We gave Ezmia the steps to create a portal into the Otherworld,” the
Snow Queen said. “Once she mastered the seven deadly sins, and dominated
the past, present, and future of this world, she would have manifested a
portal. Our plan was to travel into the Otherworld, unleash the Enchantress,
and take it by storm! Unfortunately, she was killed before the portal was
complete.”
“Well, lucky us,” Morina said. “Thanks to my prediction, we know a
doorway will be formed between worlds, saving us the hassle of building our
own portal.”
Charcoaline stepped forward and bowed to the Sea Witch and the Snow
Queen before she spoke.
“Is your current plan to curse Alex Bailey with the dust and unleash her
on the Otherworld?” she asked, and then quickly stepped back with the
others.
“Correct,” the Snow Queen said. “However, we already tried cursing Alex
with the dust. It sent her down a destructive path, leading to the obliteration
of the Witches’ Brew and her departure from the Fairy Council, but it didn’t
last for long. Alex is the granddaughter of the Fairy Godmother and a child of
both worlds—magic is very strong with her—so it’s going to take more than
one piece.”
“How much dussst will it take?” Serpentina asked.
“A handful should be enough,” the Sea Witch said.
Morina rolled her eyes. “Are you sure your dust hasn’t expired?” she
asked.
 The Sea Witch was getting tired of Morina’s disrespectful attitude. She
snapped her claws and charged toward Morina, but the Snow Queen held up
her cane to stop her.
“See for yourself,” the Snow Queen said.
She opened the bag and the witches peered inside it. The dust from the
magic mirror looked like silver sand. With her long, frostbitten fingernail, the
Snow Queen removed one piece and blew it toward the polar bears. One of
the bears breathed it in through its large nostrils, and its eyes turned bright
red. For no reason whatsoever, the bear started uncontrollably beating the
other bear.
A violent fight broke out between the polar bears, and the witches quickly
backed away from them. The Snow Queen and the Sea Witch cackled at the
belligerent beasts. The Snow Queen whistled at the bears, and they sat
straight up—resisting the urge to continue fighting.
“I’m still not convinced this will work,” Morina said. “Even if Alex
becomes as dangerous as the Enchantress and vanquishes the Otherworld for
us, what’s preventing her from unleashing her fury on us?”
All the other witches nodded—Morina had a valid point.
“Just like you, Morina,” the Sea Witch hissed, “the dust has room to be
improved. Together, with the magic of all the witches here, we’ll cast a spell
on the dust so that once it enters Alex’s system, we’ll be able to control every
move she makes.”
The Snow Queen pointed her cane at the ground and a large icy cauldron
appeared. She poured the bag of dust into the cauldron.
“Ladies, please join us,” the Sea Witch said.
The Sea Witch and the Snow Queen held their hands over the cauldron
and the dust began to glow. One by one, the other witches throughout the
camp raised their hands toward the cauldron as well. With each addition, the
light shined brighter and brighter. Morina was the most skeptical and the last
witch to join in. Once all the witches were united, a powerful spell was cast.
The earsplitting sound of a thousand screams emitted from the dust and
echoed through the forest.
“It is done,” the Sea Witch said. “Now we must find the girl.”
The Snow Queen removed the cloth covering her eyes, and her empty
sockets lit up like trains in dark tunnels. She predicted where the young fairy
was, and once the answer came to her, the lights faded and she re-wrapped
the cloth over her eyes.
“She’s already in the Otherworld,” the Snow Queen said. “One of us must
travel there and make sure she ingests the dust.”
The witches looked around at one another, but there were no volunteers.
Although Morina hated following any orders but her own, she knew she was
the best candidate for the task. Besides, her plan to betray the witches
wouldn’t succeed unless their plan to conquer the Otherworld succeeded first.
If she helped them with this, they’d never suspect a thing.
“I’ll go,” Morina said.
“You?” Rat Mary asked. “I’d trust a fairy before I’d trust the likes of
you.”
“Take a look around you, rodent,” Morina said. “I’m the only witch who
could possibly blend into a world of humans. Besides, I traveled there when I
captured the Masked Man’s son—I know the location of a portal and how to
use it.”
Morina made a good case, and the witches didn’t argue any further. They
turned to the Sea Witch and the Snow Queen and let the elders decide.
“Very well,” the Snow Queen said.
“How long before the doorway opens between worlds?” the Sea Witch
asked.
“In a fortnight,” Morina said. “I will not have time to return, so I’ll meet
you on the other side of the doorway. It will open in the forest, in the clearing
of the three boulders. It leads to a large city in the Otherworld. I’ll travel
there now, infect Alex with the dust, and be there when you arrive.”
“Do not disappoint us,” the Snow Queen said.
The Sea Witch scooped the dust out of the cauldron with her claws and
poured it back into the white sack. A little begrudgingly, she handed the sack
over to Morina.
“See you all on the other side,” Morina said.
The witch covered her horns with her hood and journeyed into the forest
away from Dead Man’s Creek. She walked with so much determination, she
strolled directly past the Masked Man without noticing him.
For the Masked Man’s plan of revenge to work, he needed a way into the
Otherworld as much as he needed his son. He glanced between Morina and
Emmerich, and decided to follow the witch now and come back for the boy
later. He trailed after Morina as quietly as possible.
 The Sea Witch still had reservations about trusting Morina with the task.
“What if she betrays us?” the Sea Witch asked.
The Snow Queen’s blue lips curved into a sinister smile, and a raspy
laugh erupted from the back of her throat. “Morina will try to betray us, but
she will fail,” she said. “Once Alex Bailey is under the dust’s spell, nothing
will stop her—nothing !”
Hearing this scared Emmerich more than anything else had since his
kidnapping. He whispered to himself and prayed with all his might that Alex
might hear him wherever she was.
“They’re coming for you.… They’re coming for you.…”
CHAPTER TWELVE
 MAKING A SPLASH ON
SYCAMORE DRIVE

It took the Book Huggers three days to find Conner’s current address on
Sycamore Drive. In their defense, the Bailey family had moved twice in the
past four years and it was difficult tracking them down. After camping
outside their previous house, the girls pestered the current residents until they
finally gave them the forwarding address.
The four teenagers walked purposefully down Sycamore Drive looking
for Bob and Charlotte’s house. The Book Huggers were on a mission to
finally expose the Bailey twins once and for all. A bag with tape recorders
and a Polaroid camera swung from Mindy’s shoulder. Once they gathered
enough evidence, their questionable reputation would be cleared and every
school administrator, police officer, and representative in their community
would owe them a massive apology.
It was a thrilling and nerve-racking endeavor, and their hearts were
pounding as they walked down the street. Wendy got a little carried away and
dashed from street lamp to street lamp and mailbox to mailbox like a secret
agent.
“Wendy, knock it off!” Mindy ordered. “You’re going to draw attention to
yourself. Everyone act natural!”
Their anxiety was so high, the Book Huggers forgot what natural looked
like. Cindy walked taller than usual and waved at all the neighbors like she
was in a parade. Lindy swung her arms and swiveled her head like a cartoon
character. Wendy skipped aggressively and broke a sweat.
“Too natural!” Mindy said. “Lindy, I told you to bring your dog! We
would have blended in more if we were walking a basset hound.”
“But Angela Lansbury has arthritis in her paws,” Lindy said. “She has to
be dragged around on a skateboard! That would have drawn even more
attention!”
 “Okay, fine, if we can’t move clandestinely, then let’s move quickly,” she
said. “The sooner we get out of the view of the public, the better.”
By the public, Mindy was referring to an old man watering his lawn, a
pair of kids playing basketball, and an overweight cat napping on a porch.
None of the neighbors were paying attention to the Book Huggers, let alone
suspicious of them.
“There it is!” Cindy said, and pointed to one of the homes. “That’s
Conner’s house!”
The Book Huggers bumped into one another as if Cindy were pointing out
a poisonous snake.
“Remember,” Mindy said, “if anyone catches us, we’re here for a school
project.”
Not so clandestinely, they tiptoed up the house’s driveway and crawled on
their hands and knees through the flower bed. They regretted wearing shorts
and short sleeves, because the roses’ thorns scratched up their arms and legs
—but there was no going back now. They slowly sat up and peered through
the window.
Inside, the Book Huggers saw Charlotte Gordon vacuuming the living
room. The house was spotless, but she was vigorously cleaning anyway, as if
the home were covered in invisible dirt only she could see. It had been two
and a half days since Charlotte’s children traveled into her son’s short story,
and since she hadn’t heard a word from them, cleaning was therapeutic for
her overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Conner’s binder of short stories was still in the center of the floor in the
exact spot he had left it. Charlotte was afraid she might break something if
she moved it, so she carefully cleaned around it.
“Honey, why don’t you have a seat?” Bob said from the couch.
“Not now, I’m distracting myself from my thoughts,” Charlotte said over
the vacuum.
Bob got up and pulled the plug, but it didn’t stop his wife. She wiped all
the surfaces, fluffed all the pillows, and straightened all the couch cushions.
“Stressing isn’t going to help anything,” he said. “I’m sure they’re going
to be just fine. It’s probably taking longer than they thought to track down
Avalon Tammy, or whatever her name was.”
“I know,” Charlotte said with a sigh. “I wish I was as capable of handling
myself as they are of handling themselves. Mothers get trained in how to
deliver their children, how to care for and nurture them, how to develop their
motor skills and self-esteem—but no one trains you in how to stop worrying
about them! They say childbirth is the worst part, but it’s just the beginning
of the pain!”
Charlotte sat on the couch in defeat. Bob sat next to her and put his arm
around her.
“I hate to say it, but this is the price you pay for raising two wonderful,
intelligent, and responsible young adults,” he said.
“I almost wish they weren’t so independent,” she confessed. “It’d be nice
if they needed their mother once in a while. Maybe I’d get to see them more
often.”
The binder suddenly popped open on its own and the beam of light shot
straight out of it. A moment later, Conner poked his head out of the beam and
had a look around the living room. The sight of Conner’s floating head made
the eavesdropping Book Huggers flail around the flower bed. They covered
one another’s mouths so their screams weren’t heard.
“Hey guys!” Conner happily greeted his mom and stepdad. “Good news!
We found the pirates.”
“That’s terrific!” Charlotte said. “I was so worried. What took you so
long? Was everything all right?”
“Everything went great,” Conner said with a laugh. “Actually, it couldn’t
have gone smoother. It just took a little longer to track down Auburn Sally
than we thought.”
“Oh, Auburn Sally—that’s her name,” Bob said. “See, Charlotte, I told
you everything was going to be fine.”
“Can we bring the pirates into the house now?” Conner asked.
“Just a second,” Charlotte said. She retrieved the welcome mat from the
porch and set it beside the binder. “Have them wipe their feet on the mat on
their way in. I just vacuumed.”
Conner nodded and popped back into the world of Starboardia to have a
quick word with the Dolly Llama crew.
“Remember what I told you guys to say if my mom asks about
Starboardia?” he asked.
The pirates and sailors repeated what they had rehearsed. “It was a piece
of cake. Nothing remotely dangerous happened at all,” they said in unison.
“Perfect,” Conner said. “Now, everyone step through the beam and wipe
your feet on the mat—my mom just vacuumed.”
The pirates and sailors were puzzled—what was vacuumed?
One by one, the Dolly Llama crew followed Conner through the beam of
light and stepped into the house. Not knowing what to expect, the pirates
charged inside with their weapons raised—which nearly gave Charlotte and
Bob heart attacks.
“Everybody calm down!” Conner ordered. “You’re all safe here!”
The living room filled up very quickly with the characters from
“Starboardia.” They looked around at all the furniture, decorations, and
lighting fixtures in awe. It was the most extraordinary place they had ever
been to. The spying Book Huggers had their camera and tape recorders ready,
but they were so stunned to see the pirates appear, they dropped their devices
and just watched in shock.
“It’s like we’ve stepped into the nineteenth century!” Admiral Jacobson
said.
“It’s the twenty-first century, actually,” Bob said.
“This chamber is so elegant,” Winking Wendy said. “Does a royal family
live here?”
“No—but thank you,” Charlotte said. “It’s amazing what a couple of
throw pillows and an accent chair will do to a room.”
Siren Sue was mesmerized by all the framed photographs on the mantel.
“Commander Bailey, these small portraits of you and your sister are so
detailed,” she said. “Your face was so round when you were younger.”
“That’s called a school picture,” Conner said. “And it was right before a
growth spurt.”
Peg-Leg Peggy stared up at the ceiling in terror. “What sort of torture
device is that?” she asked, and pointed her rifle at it.
“That’s just a ceiling fan,” Conner said. “Relax, it’s not going to hurt
you.”
The pirates and sailors split up to explore the house. They bounced on the
mattresses in the bedrooms, turned all the lights on and off, used the toilets to
splash water on their faces, and opened and closed the appliances in the
kitchen.
“I’ve found a cupboard that’s as cold as winter!” Too-Much-Rum Ronda
announced. “And it’s full of fruit, vegetables, and colorful liquid!”
“That’s the refrigerator, Ronda—stay out of there!” Conner said. “No one
touch anything without asking!”
Charlotte and Bob watched nervously as the crew invaded and inspected
every corner of their home. They weren’t sure which pirate or sailor to
follow, because everyone clearly needed supervision.
“Conner, we only have one guest bedroom,” Charlotte said. “Where are
all your friends supposed to sleep?”
“Don’t worry, none of the pirates or sailors are sleeping inside,” Conner
said.
He said it like it should have been a relief, but it only concerned his
mother more. Charlotte was going to ask him for more details, but she was
distracted when Alex suddenly leaned out from the beam of light.
“Hi, Mom—hi, Bob!” she said, then looked to her brother. “Conner, we’re
ready!”
Alex leaned back and disappeared. Conner went to the window and had a
good look at the large pool in their backyard.
“Hey, Bob, how deep is the pool?” he asked.
Bob shrugged. “Ten, maybe twelve feet,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
Before Conner could answer, he scooped up the binder and ran into the
backyard. The Book Huggers quickly got to their feet and ran to the other
side of the property. They peeked between boards and through holes in the
fence to see into the backyard. Conner stood at the edge of the pool and
aimed the binder’s beam of light directly at the water.
“Go for it, Captain!” he said.
Bob and Charlotte joined Conner outside just in time to see the Dolly
Llama emerge from the binder and land in the pool. Charlotte and Bob
screamed and grabbed on to each other. The splash knocked half the water
out of the pool and drenched Conner and his parents.
It was too much for the Book Huggers to take. All four girls fainted at
once and collapsed in a pile behind the fence.
“Charlotte,” Bob said quietly, in shock. “There’s a pirate ship in our
pool.…”
“Sorry,” Conner said. “The captain was adamant about bringing her ship
along. But the good news is that the pirates live in it, so you don’t have to
worry about them sleeping in the house.”
“Right,” Charlotte said with large eyes. “Nothing to worry about.”
Had the Dolly Llama been just a tiny bit bigger, it wouldn’t have fit in the
pool. Auburn Sally and Alex were standing on the upper deck behind the
wheel and had a great view of the neighborhood. The Rosary Chicken was
perched on the ship’s railing beside them.
“So this is the land of Sycamore Drive?” Auburn Sally asked.
“It’s just one of many neighborhood streets in the town,” Alex said.
“I like it,” the captain said. “The cottages in this village are very
charming.”
Auburn Sally kicked down a gangplank and she, Alex, and the Rosary
Chicken climbed down from the Dolly Llama. The Rosary Chicken happily
waddled onto the grassy yard and pecked at bugs. The twins introduced
Auburn Sally to Bob and Charlotte, and the captain gave them each a very
firm handshake.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Auburn Sally told them. “You have very
crafty children.”
“Tell me about it,” Charlotte said.
“It’s never a dull moment,” Bob said. “Wait, is that chicken wearing a
rosary?”
Now that the twins had successfully escorted the Dolly Llama crew into
the Otherworld, they immediately began planning their next venture. Conner
opened his binder to the second tab, retrieved the Portal Potion from his
backpack, and poured three drops on the pages of his next story. Another
beam of light appeared and shined into the sky like a spotlight.
“Time for our second stop,” Conner said.
“What’s your next story about?” Alex asked.
“‘Galaxy Queen’ is an intergalactic space odyssey,” he explained. “It
takes place in the year 3000 and follows the queen of a Cyborg civilization as
she travels through the universe.”
Alex took a deep breath. “It doesn’t get easier after ‘Starboardia,’ does
it?”
“Not really,” Conner said. “But at least we learned a lot from
‘Starboardia.’”
“Is there anything I can help with beforehand?” Alex asked. “Think about
it.”
“There is, actually—we’re going to need space suits,” he said.
Alex snapped her fingers and their clothes transformed into chic, shiny,
and futuristic space suits. Their suits were silver and had round helmets, and
there were oxygen tanks attached to their backs.
“These are perfect!” Conner said excitedly.
Charlotte put a hand over her heart. “You both look so cute!” she said.
“Stay right there—I need a photo of this!”
“Mom, we really don’t have time to take a—”
Charlotte gave her son a dirty look that said a thousand words, but most
specifically: There are fifty pirates in my house and a ship in my backyard
pool. You WILL take a photo for me whether you like it or not. Conner didn’t
say another word, and his mother ran into the house and returned with her
camera.
“Stand on the grass so I can get the pirate ship in the background,”
Charlotte instructed. “That’s nice! Now put your arms around each other—
smile! This is going on the Christmas card!”
“Mom, this is top secret! You can’t put this on a Christmas card!” Conner
said.
“Calm down, no one is going to know what you’re doing,” Charlotte said.
“Everyone will just think we took a vacation to a theme park—you know,
like normal families do. Okay, now just a couple more with my phone!”
Begrudgingly, the twins smiled and posed as their mother took a dozen
pictures. Once she was finished, they were permitted to continue their plans.
The twins tightened their helmets, turned their oxygen tanks on, and toed up
to the binder of short stories.
“Next stop, ‘Galaxy Queen’!” Conner said.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 GALAXY QUEEN

The twins stepped into the beam of light and re-entered the world of
Conner’s handwriting. The words the universe stretched around them, and
before they knew it, they were floating through an endless galaxy. They were
surrounded by thousands and thousands of stars—it was a breathtaking sight,
and the twins had never felt so small in their lives.
All gravity disappeared, and the weightlessness gave the twins a falling
sensation in the pit of their stomachs that didn’t go away. They moved their
arms and legs and tried swimming through the emptiness, but there was
absolutely nothing to swim against.
Conner barely caught the corner of his binder before it floated out of
reach, and tucked it safely into his backpack with the flask of Portal Potion.
In the distance, Alex and Conner could see a large white planet with
multi-colored clouds, but they were still thousands of miles away from its
atmosphere. The planet looked delicious—like a large piece of candy floating
in space.
“What’s that?” Alex asked.
“That’s Jawbreakeropolous,” Conner said. “I had a sweet tooth when I
wrote this story.”
It was difficult to make out at first, but the twins saw a small light
traveling toward the planet. It orbited around Jawbreakeropolous and after the
eighth or ninth rotation it shot out a green laser that engulfed the planet. In a
matter of seconds, Jawbreakeropolous shrunk and vanished from the
universe.
“What just happened?” Alex asked. “Why did the planet disappear?”
“It didn’t disappear, it was uploaded,” Conner explained. “That thing
circling Jawbreakeropolous is the BASK-8, the Cyborg Queen’s spaceship.
She travels the galaxy looking for habitable planets in other star systems’
Goldilocks zone. When she finds a planet she likes, her spaceship uploads it
into its hard drive, and then she takes it back to her home solar system.”
 “What’s a Goldilocks zone?” Alex asked.
“It’s the area of every solar system that’s not too hot and not too cold to
host life,” Conner said. “That’s actually what scientists call it—I swear I’m
not making it up!”
“Why does the Cyborg Queen need so many planets?”
“The Cyborgs have outgrown their home planet and need more room,” he
said. “The queen travels with an army aboard her ship in case she runs into
any trouble. We need to get aboard the BASK-8 and convince her to let us
borrow her soldiers.”
Conner opened the binder and aimed the beam of light in all directions
around him, like a busted lighthouse, to get the BASK-8’s attention. It must
have done the trick, because the spaceship zoomed toward the twins and
within a few seconds was hovering just a hundred yards away from them.
The BASK-8 was the shape and size of a cruise ship. It was made from red
steel and had wings like a plane. A cluster of satellites and antennas near the
top made the spaceship look like it was wearing a crown.
“Whatever happens, just follow my lead,” Conner told his sister. “I’m not
going to tell them I’m their creator—I learned that lesson in ‘Starboardia’—
but I think I’ve got something up my sleeve that will work.”
“You’re the boss,” Alex said.
Large speakers stuck out on both sides of the BASK-8 and someone
aboard spoke to the twins. The voice was very proper and sounded awfully
familiar, but Alex couldn’t tell who it reminded her of.
“Attention, unidentified life-forms,” the voice said. “Please state your
name, species, and home star system.”
“I’m Conner Bailey and this is Alex,” he announced. “We’re human
beings from the planet Sycamore Drivious of the Willow Crestian system.”
“What are you doing in the middle of space?” the voice asked.
“Our spaceship was hijacked by Orphianotics,” Conner said. “Would you
mind giving us a lift back to our planet?”
Conner was confident the tall tale would grant them admission to the
BASK-8, and he gave Alex a thumbs-up. She hoped whatever plan he had
cooking was going to work. There was silence from the speaker as whoever
was on the other end considered the request.
“Any enemy of the Orphianotics is a friend of ours,” the voice said.
“Please, come aboard.”
 A large compartment door opened and two steel claws reached out of the
BASK-8 and plucked the twins from space like stuffed animals in an arcade
prize machine. They were pulled into a large hangar where several smaller
spaceships were kept. The BASK-8 had artificial gravity, so the twins hit the
floor as soon as they entered.
Once the compartment door was shut behind them, a pair of automatic
doors on the other side of the hangar opened. A lizard the size of a man
walked in with two Cyborgs on either side of him.
The lizard had big yellow eyes and red slimy skin and wore a gray
jumpsuit with several buttons. The Cyborgs were half human, half robotic in
a variety of combinations. Some were human with robotic arms and legs;
others were split evenly down the middle. They all wore red goggles and held
guns with barrels that pulsated bright blue light. They also wore vests that
monitored their heartbeat and/or remaining battery percentage.
Alex and Conner quickly got to their feet and the Cyborgs raised their
weapons toward them. The lizard man cautiously looked the twins up and
down.
“Neither Sycamore Drivious nor the Willow Crestian system are
registered in the intergalactic database,” the lizard man said with the same
voice they had heard outside.
“Oh…” Conner said. “That’s because we hate solicitors.”
The lizard man stepped toward the twins to inspect them further.
“You’re awfully young to be traveling through the universe by
yourselves,” the lizard man said. “Were there more in your crew?”
“We had an android chaperone, but the Orphianotics stole him, too,”
Conner explained. “Darn those filthy creatures!”
The lizard man nodded to the Cyborgs and they lowered their weapons.
“I’m Commander Newters,” the lizard man said. “Welcome to the BASK-
8. You may remove your helmets—this ship is equipped with oxygen.”
The twins unscrewed their helmets and shook Commander Newters’s
hand.
“Thank you so much for rescuing us,” Conner said. “We would have been
goners if it weren’t for you.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your unfortunate encounter with the
Orphianotics,” Newters said. “The Cyborg Queen has made many exhausting
requests to the United Universe Council to ban them from our quadrant of the
galaxy, but they won’t listen to her.”
“What are the Orphianotics?” Alex asked, forgetting to go along with the
story her brother was describing. “They stole our ship so quickly, I didn’t get
a good look at them.”
“They’re a terrible species,” Newters explained. “They destroyed their
home planet, and now they travel through the galaxy stealing resources from
other star systems.”
“But isn’t that sort of what the Cyborg Queen does, too?” Alex asked.
“That’s exactly what the United Universe Council said,” Newters said.
“Never mind that, we would be happy to escort you to your home planet. The
queen loves traveling to new star systems—I’m sure she’d be delighted to see
Sycamore Drivious in Willow Crestian.”
A loud alarm suddenly went off, startling the twins. The hangar was filled
with flashing red lights. Commander Newters and the Cyborgs looked around
in panic.
“Oh no!” Newters said. “This is terrible!”
“What’s happening—are we under attack?” Alex asked.
“Worse,” Newters said. “That alarm means the queen has awoken early
from her charging slumber! She’s always in a terrible mood if she doesn’t get
a full twenty hours. I must get to the Command Bridge before she arrives!”
Newters and the Cyborgs bolted through the automatic doors and the
twins ran after them. They ran through the spaceship, passing several
hallways full of frantic half-human, half-robotic men and women. The alarm
was even louder outside the hangar and was accompanied by a voice that
repeated, “The queen is awake, the queen is awake, the queen is awake.”
They finally reached the Command Bridge in the center of the ship. It was
a wide room with a gigantic set of windows that had a view of the galaxy
ahead. The walls were covered in screens with information about different
parts of the spaceship, the queen’s location, and the universe around them.
There were dozens of control stations scattered around the Command Bridge
like desks in a classroom. Each station was covered in hundreds of blinking
buttons, dials, and levers.
In preparation for the Cyborg Queen’s arrival, the Cyborg crew
throughout the Command Bridge lubricated their joints, tightened their
screws, and polished the steel covering their bodies.
“How close is she?” Newters asked the nearest Cyborg.
 “She’s descending from her chambers now, Commander,” the Cyborg
said. “The levels of her emotion chip are off the charts—she must be upset
about something!”
The Cyborg pointed to the queen’s private elevator in the back of the
Command Bridge. All the Cyborgs stood at their control stations just as the
elevator doors opened. There was a collective hiss as their mechanical bodies
compressed into bows. Alex and Conner followed their example and bowed,
too.
The Cyborg Queen was more robotic than anyone else aboard the BASK-
8. She was only humanoid from the chest up, and even that was questionable.
Her nose, her chin, and most of her forehead were covered in metal plates.
Her left eye was a camera lens, and instead of hair, her head was covered in
wires that wove through a beehive of gears like the film in a projector. On the
top of her head, above the wires and gears, was a steel crown. The word
QUEEN blinked on it like the numbers on a digital alarm clock.
The queen had thin metal arms, and her steel body was shaped to look like
she was wearing a gown. She had wheels instead of legs and rolled out of the
elevator and into the Command Bridge. The twins could tell she was mad
because her lens was twitching and a few of her wires snapped and stuck
straight up.
“Your Majesty,” Commander Newters said with a deep bow. “We weren’t
expecting you to wake early. Did you have a restful charge?”
“Someone left the gravity on in my chambers while I was charging,” the
Cyborg Queen said sharply. “Not only did it prevent me from a restful
charge, but when I awoke, the human side of my face was puffy!”
With this, Alex realized why the “Galaxy Queen” was so familiar—she
was embarrassed it had taken this long to click. Without a doubt, the Cyborg
Queen was based on Red Riding Hood, Commander Newters was based on
Froggy, the Orphianotics were based on the orphans Red despised, the BASK-
8 was a clever play on basket, and the Cyborg Queen’s passion for collecting
planets was based on Red’s passion for real estate.
“You didn’t,” Alex whispered to her brother.
Conner knew exactly what she was referring to by her smile.
“Yeah, I did,” he whispered back.
The Cyborg Queen rolled through the Command Bridge and glared at her
Cyborg crew, waiting for one of them to step forward.
 “Well?” she said. “Someone better claim responsibility or I’ll take away
battery privileges for the entire ship!”
The smallest Cyborg in the Command Bridge became so nervous, he
began short-circuiting. Sparks flew out of his mechanical neck and his head
started spinning. He fell to his metal knees and pleaded for forgiveness.
“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty!” the small Cyborg said. “I was inspecting
the artificial gravity generator and forgot to adjust the pressure in your
chambers!”
The Cyborg Queen rolled her human eye and her lens pointed upward.
“Commander Newters, please have this Cyborg re-started before he
catches on fire,” she ordered. “And have him re-programmed to remember
the priorities of his assignments.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Newters said, and nodded to the Cyborg soldiers. “Take
him to the Upgrade Center.”
Against the small Cyborg’s will, the soldiers escorted him out of the
Command Bridge. The Cyborg Queen rolled to the center of the room and the
bottom half of her body transformed into a throne. The Cyborg crew took it
as a cue to be seated at their control stations.
“Was Jawbreakeropolous uploaded successfully?” the Cyborg Queen
asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Newters said. “It’s been safely added to the hard
drive and will be a wonderful addition to your home system.
“Then why are we still in this solar system?” the queen asked. “Shouldn’t
we be at Gumdropida by now?”
“We were en route to the next planet when we answered a distress call,”
Newters informed her.
“A distress call?” the Cyborg Queen asked. “From whom?”
Newters cleared his throat and gestured for the twins to come stand beside
him. Alex and Conner cautiously approached Newters and the Cyborg
Queen. Her lens popped several inches out of her head to examine them.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Hello, Your Electronicness,” Conner said. “My name is Conner and this
is my sister, Alex. We’re human beings from the planet Sycamore Drivious
of the Willow Crestian system.”
The Cyborg Queen squinted her human eye at them. “I’ve never heard of
such places,” she said. “What are you doing in this part of the galaxy?”
 “We were stranded and left for dead after our ship was stolen by
Orphianotics,” Alex said. “Your commander kindly saved our lives and
brought us aboard.”
The mention of the Orphianotics’ name infuriated the Cyborg Queen. Two
exhaust pipes shot out of her shoulders and steam erupted from them.
“I HATE Orphianotics!” she yelled. “I’ll admit there are few alien species
I can stomach, but the Orphianotics are extra-terrible extraterrestrials! I’ve
begged the United Universe Council to do something about it, but they
refuse! They had the audacity to tell me collecting planets is no different
from the destruction those scoundrels cause! But I don’t steal resources from
other planets, I just move them into a better neighborhood!”
Conner waited for the Cyborg Queen to let off all her steam before he said
another word.
“You know, the Orphianotics aren’t allowed in our solar system,” he said.
“They were kicked out eons ago. If you wouldn’t mind giving us a ride back
to Sycamore Drivious, we’d love to give you a tour of the Willow Crestian
system.”
“No Orphianotics, you say?” the Cyborg Queen asked. “Perhaps I should
move my planets to your system. What type of star does Willow Crestian
revolve around? White dwarf? Blue dwarf? Yellow dwarf? Red giant? I like
knowing I have at least two hundred billion years left in a new system before
making such a big commitment.”
Conner wasn’t sure how to answer. “It’s a seventh dwarf,” he said. “Yup,
seven white dwarves from the Milky Snow White Galaxy combined into one
and boom—the Willow Crestian system was formed.”
The Cyborg Queen nodded as she gave it some thought. She had never
heard of stars combining in such a manner, and the impossibility intrigued
her.
“I’d like to see this Willow Crestian,” she said. “We’d be delighted to
give you a lift to your home planet. Unfortunately, there are a few stops we
need to make along the way. There are a handful of planets I need to inspect
and collect before the Orphianotics get to them. I hope you don’t mind
waiting.”
“No worries,” Conner said. “We’d be happy to accompany you!”
“Marvelous,” the Cyborg Queen said. “Commander Newters, take us to
Gumdropida, please.”
 “Full speed to Gumdropida!” Newters ordered the crew.
The Cyborgs went to work pressing buttons at their control stations. The
BASK-8 shot through the galaxy at light speed. The powerful jerk almost
knocked Alex over and she screamed. The Cyborg Queen gave her a funny
look—surely this wasn’t her first time experiencing light speed.
“She doesn’t get out much,” Conner said.
The BASK-8 whizzed through the stars and then slowed down as it
approached the new planet. Gumdropida was bright orange and covered with
snowy mountain ranges. The spaceship orbited the planet, and information
about Gumdropida loaded on all the screens in the Command Bridge. A
detailed hologram of the planet appeared in front of the Cyborg Queen’s
throne.
“Gumdropida,” Newters read from a screen. “It has a diameter of three
thousand four hundred seventy-eight miles. Surface temperatures range from
negative ninety degrees to positive thirty degrees Fahrenheit. Atmosphere is
made of helium. Currently there is no life on the planet, but forty percent of it
is habitable for a Cyborg population.”
“It would be perfect for that ski resort I’ve been itching to build,” the
Cyborg Queen said. “Upload the planet!”
The green laser shot out of BASK-8 and surrounded Gumdropida. Just like
Jawbreakeropolous had, the orange planet shrank and disappeared from the
universe. The words Upload Complete appeared on all the screens in the
Command Bridge.
“The upload was successful, Your Majesty,” Newters said.
“Splendid. Please proceed to the next planet,” the Cyborg Queen ordered.
The BASK-8 raced through the galaxy in a different direction and arrived
at the next planet. It was green and had white clouds spiraling through its
atmosphere. Whatever sweet tooth Conner had when he wrote this story was
contagious, and suddenly Alex had a strong craving for candy.
“Mintune,” Newters read from the screen. “It has a diameter of fifty-four
thousand six hundred thirty-two miles. Surface temperatures range from five
degrees to two hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit. Atmosphere is made up
of sulfuric gases. The planet is home to an alien species known as Gas
Whales, but only five percent is habitable for a Cyborg population.”
“Pass,” the Cyborg Queen said. “Five percent isn’t worth an upload—and
I loathe neighbors. Proceed to the next planet.”
 The queen was served hot oil in a teacup as the BASK-8 traveled through
space to the next planet. However, when the spaceship arrived, they found
nothing but a field of crunchy-looking asteroids.
“Oh dear,” Newters said. “It appears Granolia was hit by a comet and this
is all that remains. Shall we continue ahead, Your Majesty?”
At first the Cyborg Queen slouched with disappointment, but her attitude
quickly changed when an exciting idea popped into her head. The twins knew
she had had an idea because a flashing lightbulb stuck out of her crown.
“You know, our solar system could use a belt,” the queen said. “Upload
the asteroids and we’ll place them between Blousery and Skirturn when we
get home.”
The Cyborg crew did as they were told and then proceeded to the next
stop. The back-to-back light speed was making Alex a little nauseated. The
subsequent planet was a russet color and had a rocky surface.
“Nutfugdus,” Newters read from the screen. “It has a diameter of two
thousand seven hundred seventy-nine miles. Surface temperatures range from
fifty degrees to three hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Atmosphere is very thin
and made of carbon monoxide. Fifty-six percent of the planet is habitable for
Cyborg life. Nutfugdus once hosted an alien species known as the Desert
Ferrets, but they’re extinct.”
“Wonderful!” the Cyborg Queen said. “I love a good dry heat. Upload!”
Once again, the BASK-8 crew followed their queen’s instructions. When
the upload was finished, the spaceship zipped across the galaxy to the
location of the following planet. Alex pulled her brother aside as it traveled.
“How much longer until we ask the Cyborg Queen to borrow her army?”
Alex asked.
“Soon,” Conner said. “There’s only one more Goldilocks zone left with a
planet the queen is going to go nuts over. We’re going to help her upload it in
exchange for the use of her Cyborg soldiers.”
“Did you intentionally base a story about a queen who steals things from
Goldilocks zones on Red Riding Hood?” Alex asked. “I can’t decide if it’s
brilliant or brutal.”
“Oh, I never thought about that,” Conner said. “Red is going to kill me if
she ever finds out.”
The BASK-8 arrived at the next planet. It was purple with turquoise rings
and by far the most beautiful of all the planets they had visited so far. The
Cyborg Queen was enchanted by it. Her throne transformed back into a gown
and she rolled over to the hologram to take a closer look at the majestic
world.
“What’s the name of this beauty?” she asked.
“Lollipopigust, Your Majesty,” Newters read from the monitor. “It has a
diameter of three thousand ninety-nine miles. Surface temperatures range
from twenty-five degrees to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Atmosphere is made
of pure oxygen, and ninety percent of the planet is habitable for Cyborg life.”
“I LOVE it—it’s meant to be!” the Cyborg Queen said, and clasped her
metal hands together. “Upload it immediately! I’ll share Jawbreakeropolous,
Gumdropida, and Nutfugdus with the Cyborgs at home, but I want
Lollipopigust for myself!”
The green laser engulfed the purple planet. But as Commander Newters
read more information about Lollipopigust, a grave expression came over his
red face. The commander bolted to a control station and pulled a red lever to
abort the mission.
“What are you doing?” the queen demanded.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I just read some troubling information,”
Newters said. “One thousand years ago, scientists from another planet sent a
vial of insects to Lollipopigust to see if it would sustain life. The high oxygen
levels in the atmosphere made the insects grow to enormous sizes and now
they dominate the planet. If we upload Lollipopigust, it would be like
uploading thousands of tiny viruses into our hard drive! The entire ship
would crash.”
The flashing lightbulb reappeared above the Cyborg Queen’s crown.
“Can’t we send the army to Lollipopigust to terminate the insects?” she asked
desperately.
Commander Newters shook his head. “The BASK-8 has been traveling for
so long, it doesn’t have enough power to charge the soldiers’ battle batteries,”
he said.
The queen’s lightbulb went off again. “Can’t they use their solar panels to
charge their battle batteries?” she asked.
Commander Newters gulped. “That would only work while the soldiers
were on the surface—but most of the insects live in colonies under the
ground,” he explained.
All the Cyborgs knew their queen wouldn’t take the news well, so they
dived under their control stations. The Cyborg Queen was so mad, the
lightbulb above her crown burst and fiery blasts erupted from her exhaust
pipes. Four robot legs wearing boots emerged from her steel gown and
stomped the floor. Tears rolled down from her human eye and oil dripped
from her lens.
“All I want is every habitable planet within a trillion-mile radius—it’s not
like I’m asking for the world!” the Cyborg Queen lamented. “Everyone put
your brains and A.I. chips together! There’s got to be something we can do!”
Once the fiery blasts had finished, Conner stepped toward the Cyborg
Queen and tapped her on the exhaust pipes. Alex had no clue what her
brother was up to.
“Excuse me, Your Mechanicalness, but I might have a solution,” he said.
“You see, my sister and I just happen to be the children of the best
exterminator in the galaxy!”
“We are?” Alex said.
“Yes, we are!” Conner said, and sent her a dirty look. “Meteor Magazine
gave our father four and a half nebulas out of five in their review, and the
Alien Voice gave him three appendages up! Those are the most popular
publications in the Willow Crestian system!”
The Cyborg Queen’s eye and lens darted between Alex and Conner. Her
eyebrows turned into tiny windshield wipers and cleaned the tears off her
face.
“So the two of you could exterminate all the insects on the planet for
me?” the queen asked hopefully.
“We could…” Conner said, lowering his head dramatically. “You’ve
already been so kind to us by offering transportation back to our planet. I hate
to ask you for another favor in exchange for exterminating the insects, but
there is something else my sister and I could use your help with.”
The Cyborg Queen wanted Lollipopigust so badly, she was willing to
strike whatever bargain it took. “That’s quite all right, just tell me what you
have in mind.”
“It’s not for us, it’s for our friends,” Conner explained. “They live on a
small planet called Fairytaletopia in the Storybookian Galaxy. Their planet
has recently been invaded by a savage race known as the Literarious
Villainomous.”
“Bless you,” Alex said.
 Conner ignored his sister. “The Literarious Villainomous are twice as bad
as the Orphianotics and ten times more powerful! The worst part is,
Fairytaletopia has no way of defending itself.”
“That sounds terrible!” the Cyborg Queen said.
“It is,” Conner said. “But it’s nothing your Cyborg army couldn’t help
with. If my sister and I exterminate the insects on Lollipopigust, would you
lend us your soldiers to help our friends fight the Literarious Villainomous?”
It wasn’t every day the Cyborg Queen was asked to lend out her army—
however, it wasn’t every day she came upon the planet of her dreams, either.
She turned to the hologram of Lollipopigust and stroked it with her metal
hand.
“Fine,” the Cyborg Queen said. “Wipe that planet clean of insects, and I
will let you use my Cyborg army to save Fairytaletopia.”
Conner shook her metal hand appreciatively. “Thank you so much, Your
Engineeredness,” he said. “We couldn’t be more grateful! Right, Alex?”
“Sure… grateful,” she said unenthusiastically.
“Sure, sure,” the Cyborg Queen said. “Commander Newters, please see
that the humans from Sycamore Drivious have everything they need for their
extermination plan. I’m going to my chambers now to finish my charge.
Please see that the gravity is turned off, and wake me when the extermination
is over.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Newters said with another deep bow.
The Cyborg Queen rolled into her private elevator and ascended through
the ship. Alex yanked her brother aside.
“Bugs?” she asked. “That’s your plan? We’re going to kill bugs in
exchange for soldiers?”
“Oh, come on,” Conner said. “We’ll get to travel to another planet and
shoot at some overgrown pests! It’ll be fun—like we’re in a video game!”
Alex shook her head—she couldn’t believe she had gone into this
situation willingly. There were many times when Alex was convinced she
and her brother were from different planets, and this just about proved it.
“Commander Newters,” Conner said happily, “lead the way!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 UNIVERSAL PESTS

We’re going to need two short-range blasters, one Omega GDD, and one
Bio-Mat Compass,” Conner said. “Oh, and the 2999 Moon Jumper Express to
get us there.”
Commander Newters gave him a peculiar look. “You’re very well
informed as to our armory for someone who’s never been aboard this ship
before.”
As if the BASK-8’s arsenal were a vending machine, Newters punched the
codes of the devices Conner had requested into a touchscreen and they were
brought out on a conveyor belt. The short-range blasters were long and silver
with a bright blue light pulsating from the barrels, just like the Cyborg
soldiers’ guns. The Omega GDD was short and round like a propane tank and
had a small keypad at the top. The Bio-Mat Compass looked like a thick
silver watch with a holographic arrow.
The commander handed a blaster to each of the twins, and Conner
fastened the compass around his wrist. The Omega GDD was heavy, so Alex
and Conner carried it together.
“What do the Omega GDD and the Bio-Mat Compass do?” Alex asked.
“The Omega GDD stands for gamma detonation device—it’s a very
powerful bomb that uses gamma rays to vaporize its targets,” Newters
explained. “The Bio-Mat Compass detects biological material within a three-
hundred-yard radius.”
Alex gulped. “I’m sorry I asked,” she said.
“To detonate the Omega GDD, type in the code LRRH215, wait for
confirmation, and then run,” Newters said. “The 2999 Moon Jumper Express
is in the spacecraft hangar. I’ll show you to it.”
The twins followed the commander through the spaceship. The short-
range blasters and Omega GDD made Alex uneasy, and she held them away
from her body. She was terrified the tiniest bump or tap would set them off
and injure someone. Conner, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more
excited to be holding the weapons from his story. When he was a kid, he used
to spend hours pretending he was fighting evil aliens on a distant planet with
the devices now in his hands. He was eager to get to Lollipopigust and live
his childhood fantasy.
Conner twirled and pointed the blaster around the halls as they walked
through the BASK-8. He re-enacted scenes from his favorite action movies
and even made the sound effects to go along with it.
“Conner, knock it off!” Alex said. “You’re gonna hurt someone with
that!”
“Relax, I have the safety on,” he said. “Oops—okay, now I have the safety
on.”
The commander and the twins walked through a set of automatic doors
and arrived in the hangar. He showed them to a small spacecraft with the
words 2999 Moon Jumper Express engraved along the side of it. The
spacecraft was the size of an SUV and looked like a mini version of the
BASK-8. It was made of red steel and had two wings and a small crown of
satellites and antennas. Newters pressed a button on the side of it and the
door of the spacecraft slid open. There were two seats inside and
compartments to store their weapons, but no sign of steering controls.
“How are we supposed to fly this thing?” Alex asked.
“The 2999 Moon Jumper Express is controlled from the BASK-8,”
Newters said. “It prevents our spacecraft from being hijacked by
Orphianotics—no offense.”
Alex was relieved. If her brother had been planning to pilot the 2999
Moon Jumper Express himself, she wasn’t sure they would have made it to
Lollipopigust. The twins stored their weapons in the compartments, tightened
their helmets, and then strapped themselves into the seats. Newters hesitated
before closing the spacecraft door behind them.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked like a concerned
father.
“One hundred percent,” Conner said. “Once you’ve exterminated one
alien insect species, you’ve exterminated them all. By the way, would you
mind holding on to this until I get back?”
Conner handed the commander his backpack.
“It’ll be safe with me,” Newters said. “Good luck, exterminators. May the
cosmos smile upon you.”
 The commander moved three fingers in a circle through the air and then
pointed to his heart. Conner copied the motion exactly and Alex did her best
to mimic him, but it was bizarre to her. Newters shut the door of the 2999
Moon Jumper Express and headed out of the hangar.
“‘May the cosmos smile upon you’?” Alex laughed. “Is that, like, a
‘Galaxy Queen’ catchphrase?”
“Do you know how hard it is coming up with an original science-fiction
saying?” Conner asked. “Nearly impossible.”
Once the commander was safely out of the hangar, the large compartment
door opened to space. The gravity disappeared and the twins would have
floated out of their seats if they weren’t strapped in so securely. The engines
of the 2999 Moon Jumper Express roared to life, and the spacecraft flew out
of the BASK-8 hangar and headed toward the planet of Lollipopigust below.
The ride was smooth and serene. The purple planet and its turquoise rings
glowed exquisitely. Even though she wasn’t thrilled they were en route to
exterminate bugs, Alex couldn’t deny how amazing it was to be gliding
between a massive spaceship and the atmosphere of an alien planet.
“I have to admit, this is pretty cool,” she said.
Conner didn’t respond. Alex turned to check on him and saw tears
glistening in his eyes. He had seen so many things from his imagination come
to life, but seeing an actual planet was surprisingly emotional.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” Conner said. “Just allergies.”
“In space?” She laughed.
“Yeah, I think there might have been a cat in here before us.”
Alex just smiled and didn’t press it further. “Well, whatever you’re
reacting to, thanks for sharing it with me. This is an experience I would never
have had without you.”
The tender moment was interrupted by a loud beeping sound. The twins
looked around the spacecraft nervously, afraid something was broken. The
beeping was followed by an automated voice.
“Five… four… three…” it said.
“Conner, what are they counting DOOOOWN—”
The 2999 Moon Jumper Express blasted toward Lollipopigust with the
power of a thousand rockets. The twins were slammed back into their seats
by so much force, it felt like invisible elephants were sitting on them. Their
teeth rattled and their cheeks rippled. They were moving so fast, they
couldn’t breathe, let alone speak or scream.
The spacecraft zoomed under the turquoise rings, shot through
Lollipopigust’s atmosphere, and headed straight for the purple surface. They
were moving thousands of miles per second and showed no sign of slowing
down. Right when the twins were convinced the spacecraft was going to
crash, it suddenly jerked upright and pointed its engines to the ground. The
2999 Moon Jumper Express made a surprisingly gentle landing on the
Lollipopigustian surface.
The spacecraft door opened automatically. “You’ve arrived at your
destination,” said the same automated voice. “Enjoy your visit to Lo-lee-pop-
ee-gust.”
Alex’s and Conner’s hearts were racing so fast, they felt frozen in one
perpetual beat. When their bodies finally caught up with their minds, they
both let out a long, terrified, and overdue scream.
“Alex, I think I peed a little.…” Conner said.
“Me too,” she said.
The twins climbed out of their seats and stumbled off the spacecraft. They
had a look around the planet’s surface as their hearts returned to normal and
feeling came back to their arms and legs.
Lollipopigust was covered in rolling purple hills and had a bright pink
sky. The planet’s turquoise rings arched above them and cast a shadow over
the ground. The gravity wasn’t as high on the planet as it had been on the
BASK-8, and the twins felt stronger and lighter in their space suits.
They retrieved the weapons out of the spacecraft’s compartments and
ventured onto the planet. Conner glanced between the compass and the land
around them, but there wasn’t a sign of life anywhere.
“What kind of bugs are we looking for?” Alex asked. “Ants? Beetles?
Flies?”
“The ones we have to find are called polycrabs,” Conner told her.
“They’re a spider, scorpion, and wasp combination.”
Just the description of the insects made Alex gasp and choke on the air.
“What the heck is wrong with you, Conner?” she asked. “How could you
even think of something so terrible?”
“Sorry, it was in one of my nightmares,” he said. “I thought it’d make a
great alien monster, so I put it in the story. It’s not like I planned to meet any
of the villains in my stories.”
“If that’s what’s crawling around your subconscious, you need deep
psychological help,” Alex said. “What’s the plan to exterminate them?”
“It’ll be simple,” Conner said. “All we have to do is find the entrance to
their colony, drop the Omega GDD inside, and then take off!”
Alex shook her head. “You and I both know it’s never that easy,” she said.
“Who would have killed these bugs if we weren’t here?”
“The Cyborg Queen would have been so desperate, she would have
teamed up with the Orphianotics,” Conner explained. “They would have
exterminated the polycrabs but would have had to share Lollipopigust
afterward.”
“Then we make a nice plot twist for her,” Alex said. “By the way, I’ve
been meaning to ask, what is Commander Newters’s deal? How did he end
up working for the Cyborg Queen?”
“She saved his planet from being sucked into a black hole,” Conner said.
“Newters was so thankful, he devoted his life to working for her. Also, it’s
helpful to have someone aboard the BASK-8 who’s not connected to a battery,
in case of a power outage.”
The Bio-Mat Compass suddenly lit up and an arrow appeared on its
screen.
“Looks like we’ve got our first catch of the day,” Conner said.
The compass guided the twins through the purple hills to the edge of a
deep, wide hole the size of an empty swimming pool. The compass pointed to
something with biological material at the bottom of it. Alex and Conner held
their short-range blasters tightly with their fingers against the triggers and
cautiously peered into the hole.
Instead of a polycrab, they found a teal worm the size of a small dog. It
was chubby and had several rolls like a caterpillar, but was shaped more like
a jelly bean than a noodle. It had big black button eyes, no nose, and a wide
mouth that was naturally shaped into a smile. The worm merrily rolled
around the hole without a care in the world. It laughed and talked to itself like
a happy baby.
“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Alex said. “What is it?”
“A Blissworm,” Conner said. “They’re a species of worm that’s always
happy, regardless of the situation they’re in. The Blissworms are one of the
few remaining species left on this planet. The polycrabs have hunted all the
other bugs.”
“What’s it doing at the bottom of the hole?” she asked. “Does it live
there?”
“No, the polycrabs dig holes to trap prey,” Conner said. “The poor little
guy must have fallen inside.”
The Blissworm certainly didn’t look like it had fallen into a trap. It
giggled as it somersaulted across the hole. It looked up at the twins and
waved with one of its four tiny hands.
“Oh, let’s rescue it,” Alex said. “It’s too adorable to be eaten.”
The twins lowered their weapons and slid down the side of the hole. The
Blissworm was so excited to have company, it curled around their feet and
purred like a kitten. Alex petted the friendly bug. Its body felt like a gummy
bear.
“I think it likes us,” she said. “Would it survive on earth?”
“You want to take it home?” Conner asked.
Alex leaned down and the Blissworm crawled into her arms. It pressed its
mouth against the glass of her helmet and gave her a big, slobbery kiss. Alex
was filled with a warm fuzzy feeling, and she hugged the Blissworm like it
was a long-lost pet.
“You know, maybe we should re-think this extermination thing,” she said.
“Maybe instead of killing all the polycrabs, we could just set traps and release
them on another planet. The polycrabs are really no different from this
Blissworm—they never asked to come to Lollipopigust. Let’s be humane
about it.”
The Blissworm crawled to the ground and curiously circled the Omega
GDD. It stretched its mouth over the top of it and swallowed the bomb
whole. Since the detonation device was bigger than the Blissworm, its body
stretched around it like a sock over a soda can.
“That worm better cough up our bomb or it’s about to have some really
bad heartburn,” Conner said.
“It must be hungry,” Alex said. “What does it usually eat?”
“Space weeds and stuff,” Conner said. “Which is really strange, because
polycrabs don’t eat herbivores—they prey on other predators.”
Suddenly, the twins and the Blissworm were eclipsed by a large shadow.
Alex and Conner turned around and saw an enormous creature climbing into
the hole behind them. It had big red eyes, fangs, two claws, eight legs, and
three tails like a scorpion. At the tip of each tail was a long, sharp stinger.
The creature’s fangs dripped with saliva and it snapped its claws as it
approached them.
It was easily the most terrifying thing the twins had ever seen and they
both froze. The Blissworm waved at the monster and blew it a kiss.
“And that’s a polycrab,” Conner said.
“It has ten limbs and three tails,” Alex noted. “That’s thirteen appendages
—why would you name it a polycrab? Poly means seven.”
“Oh,” Conner said. “That explains why I failed that geometry quiz.”
Alex thought making sense of the creature would somehow make it less
scary, but it did the opposite. The more she realized how little her brother
knew about the alien insect he had created, the more frightening it became.
“Now I get why the worm was in the hole. It wasn’t prey—the polycrab
was using it as bait!” Conner said.
Alex was afraid to even ask. “Bait for what?”
“Us.”
The polycrab vaulted toward the twins with its claws and stingers raised.
Alex dived behind her brother and used him as a shield.
“Forget what I said about being humane!” Alex yelled. “Kill it! Kill it!
Kill it NOW!”
Conner pointed his short-range blaster and shot at the creature seconds
before it tackled them. A bright blue blast hit the polycrab and it exploded
into slime and guts. The innards rained down on the twins, and they almost
became sick at the sight of it. Alex tried wiping the guts off her helmet, but
they only smeared over the glass.
“Next time, I’m going to need a full itinerary before we travel into one of
your short stories,” she said.
“You got it,” Conner said.
The Bio-Mat Compass started flickering more than ever before. The arrow
spun out of control as something made of biological material approached the
hole aboveground.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Conner said.
The twins didn’t have time to pry the Omega GDD out of the Blissworm,
so they each grabbed one of the worm’s hands and carried the Blissworm and
weapon out of the hole as one. The Blissworm happily swung between them
like it was on a trapeze.
 Alex and Conner’s problems only became worse aboveground. A dozen
polycrabs surrounded them and there were even more running in from all
directions. The twins set the Blissworm-covered Omega GDD on the ground
and stood back to back. They raised their blasters and pointed them at the
approaching polycrabs.
“Ready?” Conner said.
“Ready,” Alex said.
“It’s exterminating time!”
Alex and Conner opened fire on the polycrabs. The purple hillside was
consumed in bright blue blasts and pieces of exploding alien insects. The
Blissworm swayed and grooved to the sound of battle like it was a song with
an electronic beat.
A polycrab in the twins’ blind spots knocked them apart with one stroke
of its claw. Alex and Conner tumbled onto the ground in different directions.
The polycrabs were even harder to shoot at from the ground. The twins had to
quickly roll back and forth to avoid being stepped on or stabbed by a
polycrab’s stinger.
No matter how many they killed, the monstrous insects kept coming. The
polycrabs sprayed webs out of their center stingers, and the twins and the
Blissworm became entwined in it. Alex and Conner struggled to break free
from the sticky restraints, but their arms and blasters were confined against
their torsos. The Blissworm rolled onto its back and tried to make snow
angels in the web.
The polycrabs scooped up the twins and the Blissworm. But instead of
eating them, the polycrabs carried them off into the distance, scurrying over
the purple hills like a school of crabs across the sand.
“Now what?” Alex asked. “Where are they taking us?”
“To their colony to feed us to their queen,” Conner said.
The Blissworm clapped giddily, as if they were being taken to an
amusement park.
“The worm is right—this is actually a good thing,” Conner said. “The
deeper we get into the colony, the more effective the Omega GDD will be.”
The herd of polycrabs arrived at a huge mound that looked like an anthill
the size of a mountain. They crawled into the entrance at the top and then
down a long tunnel that snaked deep into the ground. It reminded Alex of the
time she and Conner were kidnapped by trolls and goblins and taken to their
underground territory.
They entered the largest cavern of the colony. Every inch of it was
covered with polycrabs. The insects crawled across the dirt floor and the
walls and hung by their tails from the ceiling. The polycrabs snapped their
claws, rattled their tails, and hissed in celebration as the twins and the
Blissworm were brought inside. The Blissworm waved and pointed at the
creatures like it was the front-runner in a polycrab election.
The twins spotted the polycrab queen in the back of the cavern. She was a
giant compared to her offspring and shared all their features. The queen also
had tall horns protruding out of her head and a pair of wings she wore like a
high collar. Under her tails was a thick, long abdomen that curved into a
corner of the cavern where she laid eggs. A massive spiderweb hung behind
her like a national flag.
Alex noticed the queen bore a slight resemblance to Trollbella. She had a
sneaking suspicion the Troll and Goblin Territory was the inspiration behind
the polycrab colony.
“Conner, is that supposed to be Trollbella?” Alex asked.
“Of course it is,” he said without shame. “She’s the biggest pest I know!”
The polycrabs carrying the twins and the Blissworm joined a line of other
polycrabs headed for the queen. The creatures each presented the queen with
a Lollipopigustian insect they had captured that day. The queen looked each
victim over and spit green or yellow mucus on it.
“That’s disgusting,” Alex muttered to her brother. “What’s the purpose of
that?”
“The queen is separating the prey,” Conner said. “Green mucus means she
wants to eat the prey herself, yellow mucus means she wants it to be fed to
the larvae, and no mucus…”
The twins watched as the queen inspected an alien that resembled a
mantis. When no mucus was produced, the alien was dragged to the center of
the cavern and the entire colony attacked it. They savagely tore the insect
limb from limb as they feasted upon it. It was hard to watch, and the twins
looked away.
Conner was the first prey the polycrabs in their party presented to the
queen. As she examined him, her large red eyes grew even bigger and saliva
dripped from her fangs. It was similar to how Trollbella looked at Conner—
she wanted him all to herself. The polycrab queen covered him in green
mucus, picked him up with her claw, and tossed him into the web behind her.
Just like a fly caught in a spiderweb, the more Conner struggled to free
himself, the more entangled he became.
Alex was presented to the queen next. It was no surprise that the queen
wasn’t nearly as impressed with her as she was with Conner. She spit yellow
mucus all over her and Alex was dragged to the corner of eggs.
The Blissworm was the last in their group to be presented to the queen.
The worm was delighted to see her and eagerly reached up like it wanted to
hug the gigantic insect. The queen didn’t even bother inspecting the worm.
With no mucus, the polycrabs dragged the Blissworm to the center of the
cavern to eat it themselves.
“Shoot! They’ll set off the bomb if they eat it!” Conner said. “Alex, do
something!”
Both twins were still wrapped in web from their surface encounter with
the polycrabs, but Alex managed to free one of her hands and she snapped
her fingers. Suddenly, the polycrab queen tilted her head back and let out a
massive sneeze, and the Blissworm was showered in green mucus. When the
queen looked down and saw the worm, she didn’t realize the green mucus
was accidental. She picked it up and tossed it into the web behind her, too.
The Blissworm stuck to the web just a few feet away from Conner. The
worm waved at him like they were two friends running into each other at the
supermarket. The queen continued separating the other prey her children had
brought into the colony.
“Conner, I’m going to cast a spell on our space suits to make them web
resistant,” Alex said. “Hang on.”
She snapped her fingers again and the web covering their bodies melted
away, freeing their arms and the short-range blasters that had been
compressed against their torsos. Conner hung on to the queen’s web like it
was a wide rope ladder.
Alex heard snapping and crunching sounds coming from nearby—the
polycrab eggs had started hatching. The small larvae poked their heads out of
the eggs and looked around for their first meal. As soon as one larva noticed
Alex, they all turned their heads to her as if they were connected on the same
wavelength.
Alex pointed her gun at the newborns and Conner waved to stop her.
“Don’t shoot them!” Conner yelled. “We need to activate the Omega
GDD before you cause a scene!”
“Then get to it!” Alex said.
Conner climbed across the web to where the Blissworm hung. He pulled
the worm off the web with a snap and carried it down to the ground. The
Blissworm was very heavy with the bomb inside its body. At first he tried
pulling the Omega GDD out through the Blissworm’s mouth, but the jolly
worm made a game of it and kept its mouth tightly shut.
“You stupid little parasite!” Conner said. “Just spit it out!”
He tried squeezing the Omega GDD out of the Blissworm, but it only
tickled the worm. The Blissworm kept its mouth shut but Conner felt the
laughter building up inside of it.
“So you like being tickled, huh?” Conner said. “I’m gonna goochie-
goochie-goo that bomb right out of you!”
Conner tickled the Blissworm with both hands. The worm had never been
so amused in its whole life, and so much laughter built up inside its body that
the Omega GDD looked like it was covered in a teal balloon. Finally, the
Blissworm couldn’t take the tickling anymore and opened its mouth to laugh.
The Omega GDD shot out like a cannonball. Luckily Conner grabbed its
handle before it got away.
Meanwhile, in the corner, the larvae started crawling out of their eggs.
Once they figured out how to walk, they crawled toward Alex. She kicked
them away with her boots, but they were relentless. Each egg hosted several
larvae, so the number of newborns coming toward her doubled by the second.
“Hurry up!” she yelled at her brother. “I’m about to become alien baby
food!”
Conner punched LRRH215 into the Omega GDD keypad and a red light
started to flash.
“The Omega GDD will detonate in thirty seconds,” said a calm voice
from the device.
“It’s set!” Conner announced, and dashed toward his sister.
“Don’t forget the Blissworm!” Alex said. “We can’t leave it here!”
Conner grunted and then dashed back. The Blissworm was waiting with
its hands up like a toddler wanting to be lifted, and Conner scooped it up.
The larvae started leaping on Alex—she had no choice but to shoot them.
The blasts echoed through the cavern, and all the polycrabs snapped their
heads toward her. Conner quickly thought of a distraction to save his sister.
He fired his blaster at the corners of the web behind the queen, and it fell on
top of her like a net. The polycrab queen hissed and all her children forgot
about their newborn siblings and hurried to help her.
Alex and Conner met in the middle of the cavern and ran for the tunnel in
the back. The Blissworm waved good-bye to the polycrabs as they passed
them. Alex and Conner entered the tunnel and shot at the ceiling behind them
as they ran, causing large chunks of dirt to fall and block the passageway so
the polycrabs couldn’t follow them.
The twins ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The Blissworm held
on to Conner’s helmet like a jockey clutching the reins of a racehorse. It even
slapped Conner’s bottom as if that would make him run faster.
“Cut it out!” he said. “That hurts!”
They only had a few seconds left before the Omega GDD detonated. They
saw light ahead and knew they were almost out of the colony. They heard a
thunderous explosion erupt behind them and the whole tunnel vibrated. Alex,
Conner, and the Blissworm re-surfaced just in time and rolled down the
mound. A powerful gamma ray exploded out of the colony’s entrance,
vaporizing everything it touched. The purple hills shook and cracked for
miles like they had been hit by a powerful earthquake. When the gamma ray
dissipated, there was nothing left of the colony but a massive hole in the
ground.
With the polycrabs successfully exterminated, Lollipopigust was safe for
the BASK-8 to upload. The twins stayed on the ground as they caught their
breath.
“From now on, I’m only writing about bunnies,” Conner said, panting.
A spacecraft a teeny bit bigger than the 2999 Moon Jumper Express
descended from the sky and landed near the twins. It was black and its shape
was similar to the body of a wolf. CLAW-DS was engraved along the side of
the spacecraft. Alex and Conner got to their feet as the Cyborg Queen
charged out of the CLAW-DS followed by Commander Newters and a
handful of Cyborg soldiers.
“Well done, exterminators!” the Cyborg Queen said. “We had a bet going
on the BASK-8 that you wouldn’t survive—now I owe my crew a week of
double battery privileges!”
The twins could tell she was fully charged because she seemed to be in a
much better mood than before. The commander shook the twins’ hands and
gave Conner his backpack.
“Excellent work,” Newters said. “I haven’t seen the Cyborg Queen so
pleased since the time a constellation was named after her!”
The Cyborg Queen clapped her metal hands and a team of short gray
aliens with large heads and eyes ran out of the spacecraft. They carried
holographic blueprints, laser measuring tapes, and toolboxes that hovered
beside them.
“Who are those guys?” Conner asked.
“Once she was certain you would succeed, Her Majesty had the best
architects in the galaxy flown out to immediately start construction on the
planet,” Newters said.
The Cyborg Queen rotated and pointed the gray aliens to different parts of
the Lollipopigustian surface.
“I think I’ll build the palace right there in the eclipse of the rings so it
doesn’t get hot in the summer,” she thought out loud. “And since there’s
already a gigantic hole in the ground over there—wish someone had warned
me that might happen, but oh well—that’s where I’ll put the gasoline pool.”
The Cyborg Queen rolled over to join the commander and the twins.
“Your Magneticness,” Conner said, “now that we’ve exterminated the
polycrabs, may my sister and I borrow your Cyborg army to save our
friends?”
“A deal is a deal,” she said. “You may take us to Fairytaletopia whenever
you’re ready.”
“Wait, you’re coming with us?” Alex asked.
“Indeed,” the Cyborg Queen said. “They’re going to start building my
new residence as soon as we take the planet to my home system—I’m going
to need something to do while it’s being constructed. How long is the
journey? I must warn you, anything longer than seventy-four seconds makes
me irritable.”
“We’re actually going to make a stop in Sycamore Drivious first, but it
won’t take long at all,” he said. “In fact, I just remembered I have a
transportation device right here.”
Conner reached into his backpack and pulled out his binder of short
stories.
“Lovely,” the Cyborg Queen said. She rolled away from the twins and
covered her nose. “Friendly word of advice: You might want to change
before seeing your friends. You both smell horribly of bug guts.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
 THE APPLE MEETS THE TREE

Emmerich wasn’t getting much sleep. The witches at Dead Man’s Creek
stayed up all night like nocturnal animals. They cackled and brewed foul-
smelling potions until the sun came up and then rested during the day. Their
loud snoring, growling, and mumbling was impossible for Emmerich to sleep
through. Like a neglected pet, he wasn’t being fed much, either. So he
became weaker the longer he stayed there as the witches’ prisoner.
He thought his exhaustion was starting to play tricks on his mind, because
one day at sunrise, after all the witches went to bed, he saw a strange man
tiptoeing through the camp toward him. He had pale blue eyes and several
scratches along the side of his face. He walked with a limp and his left arm
was in a sling.
Emmerich had never seen the man before and had no idea what he was
doing there. He circled the tree Emmerich was restrained to and quietly
untied the chains.
“Who are you?” Emmerich asked.
The man motioned for him to be silent. “I’m here to rescue you,” the man
whispered.
Once he unwrapped the chains around Emmerich’s body, the man offered
his good hand and helped the boy to his feet. It was difficult for both of them
since the man was injured and Emmerich hadn’t been on his feet for a long
time.
The man gestured for Emmerich to follow him, and they snuck into the
forest, far away from Dead Man’s Creek.
“Are you hurt?” the man asked, and inspected the boy front to back.
“No,” Emmerich said. “Tired, hungry, and scared—but they didn’t harm
me.”
The man reached into his sling and handed Emmerich an apple. The boy
was so hungry, he forgot all politeness and immediately started eating it.
“Make sure you chew your food,” the man said with a smile. “Remember
what happened to Snow White?”
The Masked Man played the part of a Good Samaritan very well. With
just a few kind gestures, he had the little boy convinced he was a hero.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Emmerich said. “Who are you?”
“You don’t know who I am?” the man asked.
Emmerich shook his head. The two had never been face-to-face before,
but the Masked Man needed to be certain his reputation hadn’t found his son
first.
“I’m from the Otherworld,” the Masked Man lied. “I’ve come to rescue
you and take you back home.”
The little boy was so happy about the prospect of going home, tears came
to his eyes and he gave the Masked Man a giant hug. It hurt his broken rib,
and the Masked Man pushed Emmerich away.
“I’m sorry,” Emmerich said. “I’ve been away from home for a very long
time. My mother must be worried sick about me!”
“Right…” the Masked Man said. “Your mother.”
He paused for a moment to observe his son. The resemblance he shared
with Bo Peep was even more striking up close.
“How did you find me?” Emmerich asked.
“Oh,” the Masked Man said, thinking on his feet. “Your friends in the
Otherworld sent me.”
“You mean Conner and Alex?” the boy asked.
The Masked Man was shocked that Emmerich knew the names of his
niece and nephew. If he didn’t know his own father, how could he possibly
know about his cousins?
“Why… yes,” the Masked Man said.
“Are they here?” Emmerich asked.
The little boy looked around the forest excitedly, as if the twins were
about to jump out from behind a tree.
“They’re in the Otherworld waiting for us,” the Masked Man said.
“How do you know the twins?” Emmerich asked.
The Masked Man needed to be careful with the information he shared—
especially if Emmerich was friends with the twins. If his plan was going to
work, he needed his son’s absolute trust.
“Have they ever mentioned their uncle Lloyd?” he asked.
“No,” Emmerich said. “I didn’t even know they had an uncle.”
 “Good,” the Masked Man said. “I mean—good for me. Now I get to
introduce myself to you. I’m Lloyd Bailey, Alex and Conner’s favorite
uncle.”
Emmerich shook the Masked Man’s hand as enthusiastically as if he were
meeting a member of his own family.
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Emmerich said.
“And you as well,” the Masked Man said. “Now, we must hurry out of the
woods before the witches realize you’re gone. I’ve just returned from
following the witch Morina—she led me to a portal in the Eastern Kingdom
that will take us to the Otherworld. We must move very quietly, though; it’s a
dangerous time to be traveling through this world.”
The Masked Man led the way and Emmerich followed. Even with an
injured leg, the Masked Man moved with so much determination that
Emmerich had difficulty keeping up with him. Although his head was filled
with a hundred more questions, Emmerich followed the man’s instructions to
stay quiet.
They traveled through the forest for miles without making a sound.
Suddenly, a loud crunch came from under the Masked Man’s foot. He looked
down at the ground and saw he had stepped on a small statue of a bird made
from a pale stone. It was an odd thing to find in the middle of the woods.
“Look, there are more!” Emmerich said.
The boy pointed to the treetops above them. The statue under the man’s
foot was one of many. The branches were covered with hundreds of stone
birds—enough to make an entire flock. Each bird looked terrified, as if it had
been frozen while fleeing from a predator.
“What strange decorations,” Emmerich said.
“These aren’t decorations,” the Masked Man said. “They’ve been turned
to stone by a terrible monster creeping through the forest. We need to get far
away from here as quickly as possible before we’re next!”
Emmerich didn’t need any further explanation. He and the Masked Man
hurried through the woods faster than before. But even with a monster loose
in the woods, Emmerich was glad to be away from Dead Man’s Creek. Little
did the boy know, he would have been better off with the witches than in the
Masked Man’s care.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
 FULL HOUSE AND FULL HEARTS

The perseverance of the Dolly Llama crew had been put to the test when
they entered the Otherworld, but after only one day in the house on Sycamore
Drive, the pirates and sailors of “Starboardia” had grown very accustomed to
life in the twenty-first century. In fact, they had become a little too
comfortable for Charlotte’s taste. The twins’ mother had spent the entire day
following pirates and sailors from one room to the next as if she were
babysitting fifty toddlers.
Auburn Sally, Admiral Jacobson, Siren Sue, and the navy sailors were
spread out in the living room watching television. They shared bowls of
popcorn and candy as they watched a program Charlotte didn’t recognize.
“What are you watching?” Charlotte asked.
As if it had cast a spell on them, the men and women never looked away
from the screen.
“A very wealthy family with very frivolous problems,” Auburn Sally said.
“It’s hard to tell who the parents are, because they all act like spoiled
children.”
“And for whatever reason, we can’t stop watching it,” Admiral Jacobson
said.
Suddenly, they all jumped at the sound of a blender. Charlotte ran into the
kitchen to see what the others had gotten into. She found Too-Much-Rum
Ronda pouring a red slushy liquid into mugs for herself, Not-So-Jolly Joan,
Catfish Kate, and High-Tide Tabitha.
“Can I help you with something, ladies?” Charlotte asked.
“We couldn’t be better,” Too-Much-Rum Ronda said. “I’ve recently
discovered how to create a marvelous concoction called a strawberry
daiquiri! It’s a delicious and cold drink that’s so sweet, you can’t even taste
the rum! It’s the nectar of the gods, I tell you! Would you like one?”
“No, thank you,” Charlotte said.
Not-So-Jolly Joan, Catfish Kate, and High-Tide Tabitha quickly slurped
down their frozen drinks and then held their heads in pain.
“You’ve poisoned us!” Not-So-Jolly Joan yelled.
“My head is going to explode!” Catfish Kate shouted.
“Quick—put us out of our misery!” High-Tide Tabitha said. She tried to
hand Charlotte her rifle.
“Ladies, relax,” Charlotte said. “You’re having a brain freeze—it’s what
happens when you drink cold beverages too fast. Pace yourselves and it’ll go
away.”
A clump of red slush fell and splattered across the counter. Charlotte
looked up and saw the kitchen ceiling was covered with strawberry daiquiri.
“What’s all that?” she asked.
“Sorry, that was my first round,” Too-Much-Rum Ronda said. “It took me
a couple tries before I mastered the pitcher of spinning blades.”
Before Charlotte had a chance to clean up the mess, she was distracted by
a giant splash that came from the second story. She ran up the stairs and
dashed into her and Bob’s bathroom.
Winking Wendy and Fish-Lips Lucy were taking a bubble bath in
Charlotte’s tub fully clothed. Stinky-Feet Phoebe was sitting on the tank of
the toilet with her feet in the bowl. She flushed the toilet and sighed with
relief as the rushing water gave her a foot massage. All three pirates had
clearly gone through Charlotte’s things, because they wore green beauty
masks and were reading romance novels.
“Hello, Charlotte!” Stinky-Feet Phoebe said. “You blokes certainly know
how to live! This is by far my favorite invention of the future.”
She patted the side of the toilet happily and flushed it again. Charlotte
took a deep breath and slowly let it out. A headache was forming right
between her eyes.
“That’s not what the toilet is for, Phoebe,” Charlotte said.
Stinky-Feet Phoebe was shocked. “Then what is its purpose?”
“Human waste,” Charlotte said.
The pirate immediately removed her feet from the toilet bowl and wiped
them with a hand towel.
“Then what’s that bucket in the corner with the pedal that opens the lid?”
Fish-Lips Lucy asked.
“That’s a trash can,” Charlotte said.
Winking Wendy’s and Fish-Lips Lucy’s faces filled with guilt.
 “I wouldn’t look inside it if I were you,” Winking Wendy said.
Before Charlotte could reprimand the women in her bathroom, she caught
sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She stepped into her bedroom
and saw that the comforter on her bed had been replaced with a large black
flag with the skull of a llama on it. Charlotte rushed to the bedroom window
and looked at the pirate ship in the backyard. Big-Booty Bertha was hoisting
the lavender bedspread above the Dolly Llama like a new flag. The twins’
mother hurried downstairs and ran out into the backyard.
“Bertha, that’s my comforter!” Charlotte shouted.
“Do you like it?” Big-Booty Bertha asked. “I thought the ship could use a
little color. Don’t get me wrong, I like our old flag, but this flag says, ‘Yes,
we’re pirates, but we’re also totally in touch with our femininity!’”
Clink-clink! As soon as Charlotte took her first step to climb aboard the
ship, she heard a strange sound coming from the side yard. Clink-clink! She
inspected the noise and found Pancake-Face Patty playing darts with her
nicest silverware.
“Stop that!” Charlotte said, and quickly gathered the utensils. “This is my
great-grandmother’s silver! It’s a family heirloom!”
“And fine taste she had,” Pancake-Face Patty said. “They’re very easy to
throw. Your great-grandmother must have been quite a bandit!”
Charlotte could feel her blood pressure rising. She went inside and locked
herself in the laundry room before she lost her temper. The racket throughout
the house was blocked by the sound of the dryer. It was the first peaceful
moment Charlotte had had all day. She was so happy to be helpful to her
children, but she hadn’t expected that watching the pirates and sailors would
be such a chaotic task.
There was a knock on the laundry room door and Charlotte cringed.
“What now?” she asked.
“Charlotte, it’s Bob,” her husband said. “I just got home. Are you all
right?”
Charlotte quickly let him in and shut the door before a pirate followed him
inside.
“To be honest, I’m losing my mind a little bit,” she confessed. “And these
are only the characters from the first story! What am I going to do when Alex
and Conner get back from ‘Galaxy Queen’? The house is too small for all
these people!”
 “I think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew,” Bob said. “The sailors
made a rope net out of my ties, and the Rosary Chicken turned my hamper
into a nest. She also laid eggs in all my shoes—I wish I had been warned
before I got dressed for work this morning.”
“And we both have to work tomorrow,” Charlotte said. “We can’t leave
them in the house alone. They’ll burn it down by the time we get back.”
“It’s not like we can call a sitter,” he said. “And we certainly can’t take
them with us to the hospital.”
Bob had unintentionally given Charlotte an idea, and her eyes lit up.
“That’s it!” she said. “What if we take them to the new wing of the
children’s hospital? They just finished construction and the inspections don’t
start until next week. It’s empty and spacious—exactly what we need!”
Before Bob could argue with her, the dryer door popped open and
Somersault Sydney rolled out of it. The pirate was very warm and dizzy.
When her eyes stopped spinning, she looked up at Bob and Charlotte.
“What time is it?” Somersault Sydney asked.
“Almost half past five,” Bob said.
“Dang it,” Somersault Sydney said. “I was hoping that was a time
machine.”
A loud crash came from the living room. Charlotte and Bob sprinted
through the house and found their television on the floor with its screen
shattered. Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson were helping Siren Sue to her
feet beside it.
“What happened?” Charlotte asked.
“The privileged family disappeared and were replaced by a series of
merchants,” Auburn Sally explained. “First a woman was bewitching us into
purchasing a mop of miracles, then a man swallowed a tiny pebble that
soothed his aching bones, and then an old woman fell onto the floor and
couldn’t get up!”
Siren Sue looked down at the floor. “I tried to save her,” she said.
Bob and Charlotte looked around their house at all the pirates and sailors
and shared a long sigh.
“You’re right,” Bob said. “We can’t let them stay here. We’ll take them to
the hospital with us. At least we’ll be able to check on them while we’re
working.”
“But they’re still going to need supervision,” Charlotte said.
 Conner’s binder of short stories was kept safely in the corner of the living
room. The cover flipped open and a beam of light illuminated the house. Alex
and Conner stepped out of the beam in their newly cleaned space suits with
huge smiles on their faces. The Blissworm sat on Alex’s shoulder and oohed
and aahed as it saw their house.
“Hey, guys!” Conner said. “Good news—we’ve recruited the Cyborg
army to help us!”
The pirates and sailors cheered, then stopped, sharing the same puzzled
expression.
“What’s a Cyborg?” Admiral Jacobson asked.
“You’ll see,” Conner said. “They’ll be in the house shortly. The Cyborg
Queen was just waiting on a New Planet Construction Permit from the United
Universe Council—it’s a long story.”
The broken television and the messy kitchen caught the twins’ attention.
“What happened in here?” Alex asked. “Was there an earthquake?”
“We need to talk,” Charlotte said.
Bob and Charlotte pulled the twins into the dining room for a private
word.
“The house is getting smaller by the minute,” their mother said. “Bob and
I were talking, and we think it might be best if we take your characters to the
new wing of the children’s hospital. There’s lots of room there and no one
will see them.”
“That’s a great idea,” Conner said. “I was wondering where we’d put a
thousand Cyborg soldiers. Good thinking.”
“Which brings us to our next concern,” Bob said. “We need help taking
care of all these characters—your mother and I can only do so much. Is there
anyone you know who can help us supervise?”
The Blissworm raised its hand, confident it was the worm for the job. The
twins looked to each other and thought of possible candidates.
“We should probably check in with the others in the fairy-tale world,”
Alex said. “What if we bring Jack and Goldilocks back to help Mom and
Bob?”
“Yeah, they’re probably worried about us,” he said. “We can let everyone
else know we’ve recruited half an army—they might need some good news.”
Even though the Blissworm had no idea what the twins were talking
about, it nodded along approvingly. It was the first time Bob and Charlotte
had noticed the worm on Alex’s shoulder, and they both took a step back
from it.
“How should we get to the fairy-tale world?” Conner asked. “Grandma’s
old storybook?”
“Yes, but instead of activating the magic within the storybook, we should
use the Portal Potion on it,” Alex suggested. “We’ll have an easier way of
getting back here.”
Bob and Charlotte listened to Alex and Conner like they were speaking
another language, but if the twins were satisfied with this plan, so were they.
“Where is Grandma’s old storybook, anyway?” Conner asked.
“It’s on the bookshelf in Alex’s room upstairs,” Charlotte said.
“Great!” Conner said. “Thanks for being so organized, Mom!”
Alex snapped her fingers and their space suits turned into normal clothes
again. She handed Charlotte the Blissworm and the twins ran up the stairs to
Alex’s room. Despite its energetic attempt for a hug, Charlotte held the
Blissworm away from her body like it was poisonous.
“Charlotte,” Bob said in shock, “there’s an alien worm in our house.”
In her bedroom upstairs, Alex scanned her bookshelf until she found the
spine of her grandma’s emerald storybook. She pulled it out and read the
golden title aloud.
“The Land of Stories,” Alex said.
“More like The Land of Troubles.” Conner laughed.
Naturally, the book was nostalgic for the twins, but they didn’t have time
to walk down memory lane. Conner placed the storybook on the floor,
removed the flask from his backpack, and poured three drops of the Portal
Potion onto the pages. They lit up as another bright beam of light shined out
of the book.
While Conner got the storybook ready, the title of another book on the
shelf caught Alex’s eye: King Arthur. It made her heart sink and her face fall.
“Is something wrong?” Conner asked her.
“Not at all,” Alex said. “Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”
Conner stepped into the beam of light and disappeared from the bedroom.
Alex pulled her copy of King Arthur off the shelf and stared at it. The image
on the cover was of an old, weary king seated at the head of a round table. He
had bags under his eyes, a long, graying beard, and a mind full of troubles. It
made her laugh because the Arthur she knew couldn’t have been more
different.
Alex wondered what Arthur was doing at that very moment. She
wondered if he thought about her as much as she thought about him, if he
missed her as much as she missed him, and if he longed to be with her as
much as she longed to be with him. Even though it was entirely her choice to
leave him in his own world, not a single day went by that she didn’t think of
him and wonder if she had made the right decision.
Oddly, just holding the book made Alex feel closer to Arthur, as if he
were on the other end of an open telephone line. She stuffed the book into her
backpack, stepped into the beam of light, and followed her brother into the
Land of Stories.

In the world of King Arthur, the once and future king was battling an
enchanted scarecrow in the middle of a large open field. The duel would have
been a spectacle to any passing observer, but to Arthur it was just another
lesson in his training to become the king of England. Merlin and Mother
Goose sat in plastic lawn chairs to the side and drank iced tea as they cheered
him on.
“That’s it, young Arthur!” Merlin said. “Always remember, enemies will
come in different shapes, sizes, and materials!”
“Ar-ty! Ar-ty! Ar-ty!” Mother Goose chanted like she was at a football
game. “Show that scarecrow who’s boss! Kick the hay outta him!”
Arthur was the least enthusiastic of all of them. In fact, he resembled the
King Arthur on the cover of Alex’s book more than the adventurous young
man she remembered. Defeating the scarecrow was an easy challenge, but his
heart wasn’t in it. Only one thing had been on Arthur’s mind for weeks, and
he couldn’t let it go.
The scarecrow tackled Arthur to the ground. It punched and kicked him
with its soft hay hands, but Arthur didn’t even try to shield himself. He just
lay on the ground and let the enchanted object beat him.
Merlin and Mother Goose did everything they could to encourage him.
They magically set off fireworks, they did the wave like a crowd in a
stadium, they even danced with pom-poms, but nothing motivated him.
 “He’s been depressed since Alex left,” Merlin said. “Unless we do
something to inspire him soon, England will have a very bleak future.”
“Let me talk to him,” Mother Goose said. “If there’s one thing I’m good
at, it’s convincing young men to do things against their will. Trust me, I had
two dates to every school dance, and it wasn’t because of my looks.”
Merlin shrugged. He was out of ideas himself and willing to try anything.
He snapped his fingers and the scarecrow was disenchanted.
“Let’s take a break,” Merlin told Arthur. “I need to return to the cottage
and stir my wormtail ragu so it won’t be lumpy for dinner.”
The wizard kissed Mother Goose on the cheek and then headed into the
forest to give her and Arthur a moment alone.
“Hey, Arty! Come have a seat next to me,” Mother Goose called.
Arthur pushed the scarecrow off his body and sluggishly took Merlin’s
seat next to her. He kept his eyes on the empty field and let out a deep sigh.
“Why the long face, Arthur?” Mother Goose asked. “You look like I did
when the Beatles broke up.”
“I’m having a difficult time concentrating on Merlin’s lessons,” he said. “I
don’t feel like myself these days.”
“Because you miss Alex,” she said matter-of-factly.
Arthur’s knee-jerk reaction was to deny the accusation, but when he
opened his mouth, he couldn’t find the words to argue. Instead, he just
nodded and sank into his seat. Mother Goose put a comforting hand on his
shoulder and smiled sweetly.
“Young love,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how old you get, you always
remember it. You spend five minutes with someone and suddenly you never
want to spend a moment apart. They become your sole focus and make you
happier, more excited, and more inspired than anything before. They become
your armor and give you strength and bravery and make you feel
unstoppable. Life doesn’t seem so bad now that you have someone to share it
with.”
Arthur gulped—he couldn’t have described it better himself.
“That is, until it stops,” Mother Goose said. “Then everything comes to an
earth-shattering, heartbreaking, and rude-awakening halt. You feel foolish for
ever having been so happy, and embarrassed for letting it show, and the
world has never seemed so terrible.”
“Sounds familiar,” Arthur said.
 Mother Goose leaned a little closer to him, and seriousness grew in her
eyes.
“Love is wonderful, magical, and beautiful, but it can also be maddening,
damaging, and dangerous,” she said. “It blinds us more than anything. It
makes us selfish, it makes us feel like nothing else matters, and it tricks us
into thinking the rest of the world doesn’t exist—but it does exist. Whether
you’re on the high or low side of love, the world always moves on.”
“So you’re saying love is a weakness?” Arthur asked.
“That depends on you,” Mother Goose said. “There’s a reason we’ve got
hearts and brains—we’re supposed to listen to them both. A good man
follows his heart, but a wise man follows his heart without ignoring his brain.
Finding the right balance is one of the hardest parts of life.”
“It appears Alex and I are on opposite ends of that scale,” Arthur said.
“She believes being together would alter my destiny, and I can’t imagine a
destiny without her.”
“Destiny is an awfully big gamble for one relationship,” Mother Goose
said. “It doesn’t matter how strongly you feel about something—even the
most stubborn people can change. What if you and Alex grew apart a couple
of years down the road? Could you imagine the guilt you’d both feel if you
let down the people of England for nothing?”
“But like you said, life is about finding a balance,” Arthur said. “Surely
there’s an outcome where we can fulfill our destinies and be together? Why
does it have to be so black-and-white?”
“Young people from the Otherworld are overly dramatic these days,”
Mother Goose said. “Every relationship has to be all-or-nothing, there’s no
example of give-and-take—I blame television and vampire novels. Alex
doesn’t want to keep King Arthur from England—so she’s keeping King
Arthur away from her.”
Arthur went quiet and looked at the sky. He thought over and over again
about what Mother Goose had just said. An enticing idea came to him and he
smiled from ear to ear.
“Then to prove her wrong, I have to prove she won’t be depriving
England of anything,” he said. “If I accomplish everything in the legend she
holds me to, Alex will have nothing to put between us!”
Mother Goose was confused. She was trying to convince Arthur to get
over Alex and move on with his life, not to get over his life and move on with
Alex. She had no idea how her advice could have backfired so easily.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “Heck, Arty, if you founded Camelot,
assembled the Knights of the Round Table, located the Holy Grail, and still
had feelings for Alex after you were done—I’d take you to her myself.”
Arthur looked at Mother Goose with deep desperation in his eyes. “You
would?” he asked.
“Um… sure,” Mother Goose said. “But I think you’re missing my—”
“Then I’d better get back to work!” he said.
Arthur excitedly ran back into the field. She wasn’t entirely sure how it
had happened, but Mother Goose was pleased to see his spirits change. She
snapped her fingers and the scarecrow got to its feet. Arthur fought it with
more vigor and purpose than he had ever fought anything before.
Merlin returned to the field and couldn’t believe his eyes. He sat beside
Mother Goose with an astonished look on his face.
“It’s a miracle!” Merlin said. “How did you manage it?”
Mother Goose shrugged. “I have such a way with words, even I’m not
sure what I said.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
 REGROUPING

Alex and Conner stepped through the beam of light and found themselves
somewhere near the base of the Northern Mountains in the Northern
Kingdom. If it weren’t for the range of snowy peaks stretching across the
horizon, they wouldn’t have recognized the Land of Stories. The smoky sky
and the prominent burned smell in the air made them feel like they had
stepped into a war zone, not the world of classic fairy tales. But
unfortunately, these days they were one and the same.
“This place looks awful,” Conner said. “What has Uncle Lloyd done to
it?”
“We’re not far from the Northern Palace,” Alex said. “Let’s sneak over
and take a look—it might give us some information.”
The twins picked up the emerald storybook from the ground next to them
and traveled through the woods of the Northern Kingdom, carefully avoiding
roads and paths to stay out of sight. Soon the green domes of the Northern
Palace came into view above the trees, and the twins crept closer to get a
glimpse of it.
If the Northern Palace was any indication, the fairy-tale world was in the
worst shape it had ever been in. Snow White’s former home was so battered,
it was a miracle parts of it were even standing. Captain Hook’s flying ship,
the Jolly Roger, hovered above the palace like a docked hot-air balloon. The
grounds were covered with groups of patrolling Winkies and card soldiers.
On the front lawns of the palace, the twins saw villagers constructing
three enormous statues: the Wicked Witch of the West, Captain Hook, and
the Queen of Hearts. They were watched over by a flock of flying monkeys
that pushed and kicked the villagers as they carried supplies past them.
“What have they done to Swan Lake?” Conner exclaimed. “All the
villagers from all the kingdoms must be in there!”
“Look up there,” Alex said.
She pointed to the palace balcony, where Captain Hook, the Queen of
Hearts, and the Wicked Witch of the West watched the villagers build their
monuments. The villains were seated on large cushioned chairs and were
being served drinks and sweets by Mr. Smee.
“Where’s Uncle Lloyd?” Alex asked. “Why isn’t he sitting with them or
having his own statue constructed?”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Conner said. “Let’s get to the cave—the others will
know.”
Alex held her brother tightly, and with a bright flash she magically
transported them to the cave in the mountains. They were expecting to find
their friends the Merry Men, the Lost Boys, and soldiers from the Northern
and Charming Kingdoms inside, but there wasn’t a trace of them anywhere.
The cave was completely empty.
“Where did everybody go?” Alex asked. “You don’t think they were
found and captured, do you?”
Conner looked around the vacant cave, fearing the same thing.
“No, they would have put up a fight,” he said. “There’s no sign of a
struggle anywhere. They must have moved to a different location.”
“Maybe they left a clue behind so we’d know where to find them,” Alex
said.
She and Conner searched the cave, but they didn’t even find a footprint
that could lead them in the right direction. They stepped out of the cave and
looked around at the forest and the mountains surrounding them. Something
large emerged from the trees and caught Conner’s eye.
“I don’t think they left something behind—I think they left someone,” he
said.
Conner gestured to the woods ahead, where a chubby unicorn with a
broken horn stood.
“Cornelius!” Alex said excitedly.
The twins ran to the unicorn and gave him a huge hug. He was so happy
to see them, he neighed eagerly and did an animated dance with his front
hooves.
“Cornelius, we’re looking for Jack and Goldilocks,” Alex said. “Do you
know where they and the others went?”
The unicorn nodded his large head up and down.
“Could you take us there?” Conner asked.
The unicorn knelt to the ground and the twins climbed onto his back. His
horn glowed like a lantern, and he raced through the forest faster than any
normal horse could. Although they zipped past trees at a high speed, the
twins could tell how empty the woods were. They didn’t see a single living
thing in the forest besides each other.
Cornelius took Alex and Conner deep into the Dwarf Forests, to the West
Hills. Neither had been to these parts of the woods before, so they didn’t
know what to expect or what to look for. The unicorn stopped at a large
boulder sticking into the hillside.
“Are you sure this is it?” Alex asked.
Cornelius nodded, but even the unicorn was baffled. Jack and Goldilocks
had left him near the cave in case the twins returned, knowing his magic horn
would guide them to their new location, but they didn’t give him any
instructions for what to do once they got there.
“It must be some kind of secret entrance,” Conner said.
The twins climbed down off Cornelius and inspected the boulder. They
knocked on it as if it were a door, but nothing happened. Alex tried using
magic to move it aside, but the boulder didn’t move.
“There must be a spell keeping it in place,” Alex said. “Hagetta must have
charmed it to keep intruders out. It must need some sort of password.”
“It doesn’t need a password, it needs a whistle,” said a voice behind the
twins.
Alex and Conner turned and saw Rook Robins standing on a hill nearby.
Given their history, the twins weren’t overjoyed to see him, but it was nice to
see a familiar face nonetheless.
“Rook, it’s good to see you!” Alex said. “Do you know where we are?”
“We’re in the West Hills of the Dwarf Forests,” Rook said. “Jack,
Goldilocks, and all the others are hiding in an abandoned mine on the other
side of that boulder.”
“Do you know how to get inside?” Conner asked.
“Only a special birdcall will open it,” Rook said. “But I know another way
in. There’s a tunnel on the other side of the hills—it’s how I got out. Follow
me!”
Alex and Conner still had reservations about trusting Rook, but they
didn’t have another choice. The twins and the unicorn followed him over the
hills to a small tunnel whose entrance was camouflaged in the hillside. Rook
held back cobwebs like a curtain and escorted Alex, Conner, and Cornelius
inside.
Rook had to give the unicorn a big push to squeeze him through the
narrow entrance. The tunnel was very long and dark, but thanks to
Cornelius’s glowing horn, they could see where they were going.
“Do you know why they changed locations?” Alex asked Rook.
“The cave became really crowded after Jack and Goldilocks started
rescuing refugees,” Rook explained. “My village was among the first they
saved from the Literary Army. They’ve been retrieving people when and
where they can, but it’s been more difficult since the Masked Man rounded
up all the citizens and put them in the lake. The royal families were the last to
arrive—Jack and Goldilocks barely saved them from being executed.”
Knowing the royals were safe felt like a giant weight was being lifted off
the twins’ shoulders. They sighed with relief and walked a little taller.
“Where is the Masked Man?” Alex asked. “We didn’t see him with the
villains at the Northern Palace.”
“You haven’t heard?” Rook asked.
“We haven’t been around in a while,” Conner said. “What happened?”
“The Masked Man is dead,” he said. “The villains took over and had him
killed.”
The news made Alex and Conner stop in their tracks.
“Well, that’s… something,” Conner said, and shared a look with his sister.
A person they hated and felt so much anger toward was gone, but on the
other hand, a family member was dead. The strangest part was not feeling
any grief whatsoever for him.
After thinking about it, they realized the loss didn’t really change a thing.
The face and name they were fighting against may have changed, but their
mission was still the same. Hopefully the battle ahead would be easier
without him. Perhaps this meant the Literary Army would implode like a
circus without a ringleader.
“Everyone is going to be thrilled to see you,” Rook said. “How have you
been?”
He unintentionally directed the question at Alex, and her brother suddenly
felt like a third wheel. As uncomfortable as it made Conner, it was nothing
compared to how Alex felt.
“We’ve been busy,” Alex said. “My brother and I are recruiting an army
to help us fight the villains.”
 “I know I’m still earning your trust back, but let me know if I can help,”
Rook said.
Alex kept trying to incorporate her brother into the conversation to make
it less awkward, but Conner wanted nothing to do with it.
“Thank you, but I think we’ve got it under control,” Alex said. “And for
the record, we do trust you.”
Rook smiled at her, but there was sadness in his eyes. Obviously, he was
hoping to regain a lot more than trust. When Alex didn’t smile back, the rest
of Rook’s face matched his eyes. They continued on through the tunnel,
walking in a silence that said a thousand words.

The worst part about life in the abandoned mine was the constant waiting.
It might have been easier if the refugees had an indication of what they were
waiting for, but with each passing day, there was no good or bad news to
share. They were becoming so restless that any information would have been
better than none at all.
To pass the time, the refugees formed a little academy within the mine and
taught one another different skills. Jack and the Tin Woodman taught the
villagers how to sculpt using their axes. Soon, there wasn’t a stalagmite in the
mine that hadn’t been carved into a squirrel, a beanstalk, a tower, or a
mermaid.
Robin Hood and the Merry Men gave the queens archery and sword-
throwing lessons. The Sherwood natives became a little invasive of the
queens’ personal space while showing them how to improve their form and
received dirty looks from the kings.
Red’s granny and the Old Woman from the Shoe Inn kept the kings and
soldiers busy with sewing lessons. After a few days, the men had produced
their first quilt and proudly hung it on display for the rest of the mine to see
it.
“Remember, any man can shape a nation with a crown, but it takes a real
man to start a quilt from a thread,” Granny said.
Trollbella tried to teach Peter Pan and the Lost Boys to dance, but they
weren’t enthusiastic students. It didn’t matter how many times she went over
the steps of her routine, the boys only goofed off and teased one another.
“I don’t know how to be more clear with you,” Trollbella said. “It’s step-
touch, step-touch, kick-ball-change, reach to the right, reach to the left, kick-
ball-change, shimmy to the front, shimmy to the back, pirouette, and pose!
There’s no nose-picking, pants-dropping, eye-poking, or tongue-showing in
any of my choreography!”
Peter made a funny face at the troll queen behind her back. All the Lost
Boys laughed, and she turned around just in time to see it. When Trollbella
had first laid eyes on the Boy Who Never Grew Up, she was completely
smitten, but the more his true colors showed, the more she disliked him; he
was all sparkle and no substance.
The troll queen figured it was time to break the news to him. She looked
Peter Pan directly in the eye and caressed his face.
“I had such high hopes for us, but I’m afraid it’s not going to work out,”
Trollbella said.
She covered Peter’s mouth to silence his protest, even though he didn’t try
to argue.
“We simply have different needs,” Trollbella explained. “I’m looking for
romantic strolls—you need a stroller. I’m looking for love and lust—you
need a leash. I’m looking for a Butterboy—you’re just a Buttertoy. Let’s part
as friends.”
Trollbella sauntered away from Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. The boys
exchanged puzzled looks, not sure if that was part of the dance lesson or not.
Goldilocks lay in the corner of the mine using Lester as a pillow and
Clawdius as a footstool. The expectant mother was overdue and very eager to
deliver the baby. Her backaches and irritability increased every day. Jack had
to take all sharp objects away from her so she wouldn’t have anything to
throw during a mood swing.
Hagetta boiled some herbs in her cauldron and gave the concoction to
Goldilocks for the pain. The Traveling Tradesman dangled a triangular stone
on a string over her pregnant belly and studied the movement very closely.
Red watched the Tradesman like he was a lunatic.
“What are you doing?” Red asked.
“I’m predicting the child’s gender,” the Traveling Tradesman said. “If the
stone swings in a circle, it’s a girl. If it moves back and forth, it’s a boy.”
“And what if it gets ripped out of your hand and thrown across the mine?”
Red asked.
“It’s all right. I already know it’s going to be a boy,” Goldilocks said.
“How could you possibly know that?” Red asked.
“Mother’s intuition,” Goldilocks said. “It’s the one perk that comes with
the bloating, the back pain, and the unstable emotions.”
“A niece would be better for me,” Red said. “I could dress her up in little
dresses, apply blush to her tiny cheeks, and put dainty bows in her hair! I
suppose I could do that with a nephew, too, but he might resent me for it
later.”
Goldilocks rolled her eyes. “Your request has been submitted,” she said.
Red grabbed the string of the Tradesman’s triangular stone and forced it
to swing in a circle above Goldilocks’s stomach, as if that would do the trick.
“Have you chosen a name yet?” Hagetta asked.
“Not yet,” Goldilocks said. “I want his name to be special, I want it to
mean something and inspire him for his whole life.”
“You know, Red works for both a boy and a girl,” Red said. “And I
happen to be a very special, meaningful, and inspiring person.”
Goldilocks cringed at the thought of bringing another Red into the world.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “I want it to be original and freeing, like River
or Robin or—Alex and Conner!”
Red scrunched her nose and crossed her arms. “How are Alex or Conner
original and freeing?”
“No—Alex and Conner are here!” Goldilocks yelled. “Look over there!”
Goldilocks sat up and pointed to the back of the mine. Everyone went
dead silent and turned toward where she was pointing. When they saw Alex
and Conner entering with Rook and Cornelius, the refugees burst into cheers
and the mine vibrated with joy. Although it hadn’t been too long since they’d
seen most of them, the twins felt like they were walking into a reunion. Their
friends surrounded them and stood in lines to embrace them. There were so
many familiar faces they weren’t expecting to see, they didn’t know who to
say hello to first. Everyone looked more tired, thinner, and paler than before.
Living in the mine had worn them down.
“It’s so wonderful to see you!” Alex said.
“Goldilocks, you look like you’re about to explode!” Conner said.
“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Goldilocks said.
“Are you guys doing okay?” Alex asked. “Is everyone healthy and
unharmed?”
“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Jack said. “How are you two? Where
have you been?”
Alex and Conner shared a smile, knowing their news would excite them.
“We’ve been in the Otherworld recruiting an army to fight the literary
villains,” Conner announced.
“That’s terrific!” the Tin Woodman said. “What kind of army?”
“An army of my characters,” Conner said. “We’ve used the Portal Potion
on my short stories from school. So far we’ve enlisted pirates, sailors, and
Cyborgs—I’ll explain what those are later.”
All the refugees turned to the Traveling Tradesman. The old geezer
crossed his arms, leaned on a stalagmite, and glared at the others with a look
that said I told you so!
“That’s the best news we’ve heard in ages,” Sir Lampton said. “How soon
until it’s ready for battle?”
“It won’t be long,” Alex said. “We just have two more stops and the army
will be complete.”
“DID YOU HEAR THAT, MEN?” Robin Hood asked the Merry Men.
“SOON WE SHALL BE OUT OF THE SHADOWS OF SOLITUDE AND
UNDER THE SUNLIGHT OF WAR! HOW MARVELOUS!”
Red pushed past the villagers, animals, and other royals to get closer to
the twins. “Excuse me, pardon me, a real friend coming through,” she said.
“Alex and Conner, it’s so lovely to see you’re all right!” She suddenly
grabbed them both by the shirt and looked frantically into their eyes. “You’ve
got to get me out of here! There are peasants, animals, and men who talk to
marbles! And Charlie isn’t here to calm me down!”
The twins gently removed her hands from their clothes and took a step
away.
“That’s actually why we’re here,” Conner said. “Our mom and stepdad
are watching my characters for us while we recruit others, but they need a
hand. We were hoping a few of you could come back with us to help them
supervise. There are more characters than they can handle.”
“How many people do you need?” Jack asked.
Alex and Conner looked around the mine. Red wasn’t the only one who
looked desperate for a break. The twins would have a hard time refusing
anyone’s help.
 “The more the merrier,” Conner said. “But let’s hurry. The people in this
world need us.”
Alex set the storybook on the ground and opened the cover. The beam of
light was the brightest thing many of the refugees had seen in days and they
shielded their eyes from it.
Before Conner could even explain where they were going, Red ran into
the beam of light and disappeared from the mine. She was followed by
Clawdius, Jack and Goldilocks, Robin Hood and the Merry Men, Lester and
the Tin Woodman, and Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Conner had lost count of
how many people were traveling into the Otherworld when he felt a tap on
his shoulder.
“You’ve come back for me, Butterboy,” Trollbella said. “I don’t know
why I worried so. You’ve never let me down before. I know the pain of being
away from each other can be overwhelming, so please don’t waste your
energy with a personal request for me to accompany you—I’d be delighted to
visit the Otherworld!”
Before Conner could stop her, Trollbella ran into the beam of light with
the others.
“Okay, we’ve definitely got enough help,” Conner said. “We should get
back and finish recruiting the army. If any of you need us, we’ll just be on the
other side of this beam.”
“We’ll stay behind and look after the others,” Sir Lampton said.
“Thank you,” Alex said. “We’ll be back soon with help. Everyone stay
safe!”
The twins stepped through the beam of light and returned to the
Otherworld. Sir Lampton, Sir Grant, Hagetta, the Traveling Tradesman,
Rook, Cornelius, Red’s granny, the Old Woman from the Shoe Inn, the royal
families, the villagers, and all the animals lowered their heads in a moment of
silence. They all collectively said a prayer for the twins’ success to continue
and for them to be able to form an army to save the fairy-tale world.
Unfortunately for the occupants that remained, their quiet moment was
interrupted by another unexpected visitor. Unbeknownst to Alex and Conner,
they had been followed through the Dwarf Forests and into the secret tunnel.
The refugees saw something moving in the back of the mine. They heard
hissing and rattling coming from a large silhouette.
“What was that?” Sir Grant asked.
 The soldiers drew their swords and walked toward the sounds as a pair of
bright red eyes glowed from the shadows. All the refugees froze where they
stood, but they were frozen by much more than fear.…
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
 SAINT ANDREW’S CHILDREN’S
HOSPITAL

It took five trips in each of Charlotte’s and Bob’s cars to transport the
characters from “Starboardia” to Saint Andrew’s Children’s Hospital. They
covered each pirate and sailor in scrubs and medical masks and quickly
escorted them through the hospital to the empty commissary in the brand-new
wing.
It would have been simpler if the Dolly Llama crew weren’t such a
curious bunch. They pocketed medical supplies as they passed unoccupied
countertops, snuck charts off hospital-room doors, and stole pens out of the
lapels of unobservant physicians. By the time they reached the commissary,
the pirates’ pockets were full of scissors, Band-Aids, and medical tape, and a
few of them wore bedpans as hats.
The commissary was a wide and colorful room. It had dozens of tables,
hundreds of chairs, adjoining bathrooms, and a large, never-been-used
kitchen. It was the perfect place for temporarily hosting Conner’s characters.
Ironically, the commissary had been decorated with a classic storybook
theme. The walls were covered with murals of Alex and Conner’s friends,
and the support beams had been painted to look like book spines.
Anticipating her children’s return from the fairy-tale world, Charlotte had
cleared a space in the corner of the commissary and placed the Land of
Stories book and Conner’s binder of short stories on the floor. Once all the
characters from “Starboardia” had been successfully escorted inside, the
emerald storybook flipped open and the beam of light appeared.
Red ran out of the beam like a bull released from a pen and looked around
the commissary. She sighed with relief and stretched her arms out.
“Thank God,” she said. “I’m indoors!”
“Hi, Red!” Charlotte said. “Long time no see!”
Without even making eye contact with the twins’ mother or the Dolly
Llama crew, Red ran to the window and yanked the blinds open. Rays of
sunlight shined inside and Red blissfully spun in them.
“Daylight—I’ve missed you so much!” Red said, and turned to the others.
“No one look at me for at least twenty minutes. I haven’t seen the sun in
weeks! I’m paler than Snow White with a stomach flu!”
“Good to see you, too, Red,” Bob said under his breath.
It wasn’t long before the others from the fairy-tale world joined her.
Clawdius ran out from the beam behind Red. Unlike his mother, the wolf was
very social. He did an excited lap around the commissary and visited with
every human he saw.
Jack and Goldilocks stepped out of the beam next and Jack helped his
pregnant wife to the closest seat. They were joined shortly afterward by
Robin Hood, the Merry Men, Lester, the Tin Woodman, Peter Pan, the Lost
Boys, and Trollbella. Just like the characters from “Starboardia” did when
they arrived on Sycamore Drive, the characters from the fairy-tale world and
classic literature stared in awe at the wondrous new world around them.
“Welcome to Saint Andrew’s Children’s Hospital!” Charlotte said.
“So this is the Otherworld?” Jack said, and whistled at the sight.
“It’s colorful,” Goldilocks said. She side-eyed the decorations. “They
certainly make reading a lifestyle here.”
Before Bob and Charlotte began the complicated task of introducing the
new characters to the old characters, Alex and Conner popped out of the
beam of light beside them.
“Oh cool, we’re already at the hospital!” Conner said, and cleared his
throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, chicken, and Blissworm from my stories, allow
me to introduce you to the ladies, gentlemen, goose, and wolf from classic
literature and fairy tales.”
The introduction didn’t go as well as the twins had hoped. The characters
circled one another like animals meeting in the wild.
“Pirates!” Peter shouted at the Dolly Llama crew.
“Guys, knock it off!” Alex said. “We’re all on the same side here. These
people are going to help us defeat the Literary Army.”
“Sorry,” Peter said. “For whatever reason, I’m always inclined to shout
‘Pirates’ whenever I see them—bad habit.”
The Rosary Chicken fearfully laid an egg as soon as she saw Clawdius,
and he chased after her. The Blissworm didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so
it jumped aboard the wolf and rode him like a cowboy. Lester thought the
Blissworm was the most delicious-looking worm he had ever seen, so he
chased after the others, forming a bizarre parade of fictional creatures.
“Rule number one,” Conner said. “No one is allowed to eat anyone else!”
The Rosary Chicken clucked with relief. Clawdius and Lester stopped in
their tracks and slumped. The Blissworm tugged on Clawdius’s collar—
Conner didn’t say the fun had to stop.
It took the fairy-tale characters a few moments to realize that pictures of
many of them were painted on the walls throughout the commissary. They
walked to their respective murals and stared at the artwork worryingly.
“Look, boys, we’re on the wall!” Peter said, and pointed to a mural of
them. “Wait a moment. Is this place a church? Are we gods in this world?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Conner said. “People just like your story here.”
The Tin Woodman found himself in a mural of The Wonderful Wizard of
Oz but didn’t recognize the three others he was traveling with down the
yellow brick road.
“Who are the people I’m linking arms with?” the Tin Woodman asked.
“That’s Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion,” Alex explained.
“You would have met them in Oz if we hadn’t found you first.”
“Did they drop a barn on me as well?” the Tin Woodman asked.
“Um… I don’t remember,” Alex lied.
Robin Hood and the Merry Men gathered around the mural of Robin
Hood. The resemblance between the real Merry Men and the painted Merry
Men was striking; however, Robin Hood was depicted very effeminately in
the painting. He wore bright green tights and had a short curly bob and no
facial hair.
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND,” Robin Hood said. “WHAT IS MY
MOTHER DOING IN THIS PAINTING?”
Trollbella stared up in awe at a beautiful mural of Cinderella in a ball
gown. She smiled from ear to ear and clutched her hands over her heart.
“Oh my Troblin heavens, it looks just like me!” she said. “There are some
very talented painters in the Otherworld.”
Red let out an earsplitting scream when she saw the mural of Little Red
Riding Hood. The twins looked between the real Red and the painted Red,
but they couldn’t figure out what was so offensive. All they saw was an
adorable girl in a red cape running from the Big Bad Wolf.
 “Red, what’s the problem?” Alex asked.
“They made me a brunette!” Red yelled.
The twins rolled their eyes. Red turned her back to the room and pouted as
she continued soaking up the sun.
“That reminds me,” Conner said. “I need to go back to ‘Galaxy Queen’
and get the Cyborgs.”
He went to his binder of short stories, flipped it open to “Galaxy Queen,”
and vanished into the beam of light. As he went, Alex noticed that Goldilocks
and Jack were whispering to each other and suspiciously glaring across the
room.
“Is everything okay?” Alex asked.
“Alex, are my hormones driving me mad, or do that man and woman look
exactly like Jack and me?” Goldilocks asked.
Alex looked at Auburn Sally and Admiral Jacobson on the other side of
the room. They were also whispering to each other and shooting peculiar
glances at Jack and Goldilocks. Clearly they were having the exact same
conversation.
“A lot of Conner’s characters are based on people he knows,” Alex said.
“But trust me, it could be a lot worse than the captain and the admiral.”
As soon as she said this, the Cyborg Queen charged out of the “Galaxy
Queen” beam of light. She ignored everyone in the commissary and rolled
directly to the windows where Red stood. Two large solar panels came out of
her metal shoulders and she pointed them toward the sun.
“Daylight, thank goodness,” the Cyborg Queen said. “I haven’t had a
solar charge in weeks!”
The Cyborg Queen stretched her solar panels so far, she took up the whole
window.
“Excuse me,” Red said. “You’re blocking my light.”
“Who says it’s your light to begin with?” the Cyborg Queen said.
Red was appalled by her rudeness, so she left the window and took a seat
by Jack and Goldilocks.
“I don’t know who or what that woman is, but she’s terrible,” Red said.
Goldilocks fought a smile and leaned close to Alex. “I see what you
mean,” she said.
Conner and Commander Newters hurried out from the “Galaxy Queen”
beam and cleared a large area of the commissary, stacking chairs and tables
on top of one another until there was a large open space.
“Conner, what’s that for?” Charlotte asked.
“The Cyborgs,” he said.
Newters removed a small remote from his belt and pointed it at the beam.
Twenty mechanized wagons carrying fifty Cyborg soldiers each rolled out of
the beam of light. The Cyborgs were deactivated and were stacked on top of
one another like folding chairs. Newters steered the wagons into the cleared
area and parked them.
“Is that… humane?” Bob said with wide eyes.
“Probably not,” Newters admitted. “But if we keep them deactivated until
battle, we’ll save a fortune on our electric bill.”
The characters settled into groups throughout the commissary like high
school cliques. The people of each dimension had their own sets of tables and
cautiously eyed one another from afar.
“Will they be okay?” Charlotte asked.
“They’ll warm up to each other,” Conner said, and then whistled to get the
room’s attention. “Everybody listen up! Alex and I have to head into my next
story to recruit more characters. Everyone please be nice to one another while
we’re gone. My mom and Bob are in charge unless they’re at work—then
Jack and Goldilocks are in charge.”
The characters from “Starboardia,” “Galaxy Queen,” the Land of Stories,
Sherwood Forest, Neverland, and Oz all nodded respectfully, then quickly
returned to watching one another apprehensively. Alex and Conner hugged
Charlotte and Bob and went to the binder of short stories. Conner flipped it
open to his next story and poured three drops of the Portal Potion on the
pages.
Conner stepped toward the beam of light that appeared, but Alex stopped
him before he entered it.
“Hold on a second,” she said. “You’re supposed to tell me what to expect
at the next stop—and don’t spare the details this time. If there are bug guts, I
want to be prepared.”
“The next story is called ‘The Ziblings,’” Conner explained. “It’s about
four kids with superhuman powers. They all lost their parents at an early age
and went to live at the same orphanage. One night, an asteroid carrying
cosmic radiation hit their orphanage and affected their DNA, giving them
phenomenal abilities. They were adopted by a billionaire astrophysicist
named Professor Wallet and taken to his laboratory, where he raised them
and trained them to become superheroes.”
“Professor Wallet?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, I lost my wallet the day I wrote it and thought it was a good
name,” Conner said. “Moving on, we’re going to travel to their city and meet
them at the scene of a bank robbery. While they’re saving the bank, we’ll
sneak inside the Zibling Mobile, follow them back to their secret laboratory,
and ask them to join us.”
“Will they cooperate?” she asked.
“The Ziblings are very competitive siblings,” Conner said. “They never
pass up a challenge, especially if there’s an opportunity to outshine each
other.”
“Okay,” Alex said with a nod. “Zounds zuper.”
“Leave the jokes to me,” Conner said.
The twins stepped into the beam of light and disappeared from Saint
Andrew’s Children’s Hospital.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
 THE ZIBLINGS

Conner’s handwriting wiggled and zoomed through the air as the world of
“The Ziblings” was created around him and his sister. The word highway
stretched beneath their feet, and Alex and Conner were suddenly standing in
the middle of a wide country road. Cars and large trucks honked and swerved
to avoid them, and they dashed to the side of the highway to avoid getting hit.
Alex and Conner looked up and saw a large city-limits sign above them.
The sign read:

BIG CITY, USA

POPULATION 7,654,321

Once the handwritten words finished constructing the new dimension, the
twins saw that the highway led to an enormous city a couple of miles in the
distance. It had the tallest and leanest skyscrapers Alex had ever seen; the
skyline looked more like a bundle of pencils and pens than a row of
buildings.
“Big City, USA?” Alex asked. “You couldn’t come up with anything
more original than that?”
“It was supposed to be a placeholder until I came up with a better name,
but Big City, USA, grew on me,” Conner said. “Now let’s go to the bank
before it gets robbed without us.”
Alex laughed. “Now, that’s something I’ve never heard before,” she said.
The twins walked down the road and entered the busy city. The world of
the Ziblings was like a highly exaggerated version of the Otherworld. The
buildings were more colorful, the streets were cleaner, and the cars were
shinier. Even the people were more extravagant. The men were taller and had
broader shoulders and wider jaws. The women had impeccable hair, makeup,
and clothes. Even the children were cuter and better behaved. It was like the
twins had entered a 1950s cartoon.
 Alex and Conner zigzagged through the city streets. They walked down
Main Street, made a right on Center Road, and then a left on First Avenue.
Alex wasn’t sure which city Conner was emulating for “The Ziblings” setting
because Big City, USA, had characteristics of every American city she could
think of. There were subway stations like in New York City, bridges like in
San Francisco, surrounding Great Lakes like in Chicago, and BIG CITY, USA,
was written across a hillside like the Hollywood sign.
They eventually found Big City Bank, in the middle of First Avenue. It
was a large white building with thick pillars and a massive dome. It reminded
Alex of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. The twins walked up the
front steps and went inside.
The bank had marble floors, golden pillars, and wooden counters. There
were high ceilings, tall windows, and lots of elaborate lighting structures. A
long line of Big City citizens waited patiently to be helped by one of a dozen
bank tellers. There were also desks scattered throughout the bank where
bankers helped other citizens open new accounts and apply for loans. No one
appeared to have been rejected, because all the applicants had big smiles on
their faces as they happily shook the bankers’ hands.
Conner took his sister to the far end of the bank, near a back door. He got
down on the floor, lay facedown, and put his hands over his head.
“Are you doing yoga?” Alex asked.
“No, I’m getting ready,” he said. “We’re just in time.”
“For what?”
“The robbery,” he said, as if it were obvious. “It should be starting in
five… four… three… two…”
Five armed robbers stormed into the bank. They wore all black and had
mouse ears and whiskers attached to their masks. The robbers fired their guns
into the air to get everyone’s attention. It was startling even to Alex, and
she’d known it was coming.
“Everyone on the ground now!” the largest robber shouted. “Facedown
with your hands on your heads! No talking! Don’t make me tell you twice!”
The citizens screamed and did what they were told. Alex joined her
brother on the floor and copied his pose. The robbers threw big duffel bags
on the wooden counters and pointed their guns at the tellers.
“Empty the safe!” the largest robber shouted. “And don’t you dare try any
funny business or I’ll blow you all to the sky!”
The trembling tellers did what the robbers demanded. They opened the
gigantic safe in the back of the bank and began filling the duffel bags with
stacks of cash and bars of gold.
“What’s up with the ears and whiskers on their masks?” Alex whispered
to her brother.
“It’s part of their gimmick,” he said. “These guys are called the Rat Pack
—they’re the most infamous bank robbers in Big City, USA. The tallest
one’s name is Frank, he’s the leader, and then there are his henchmen:
Sammy, Dean, Joey, and Peter.”
“Just like the Rat Pack from the sixties!” Alex said.
Conner scrunched his forehead. “Dang it!” he said. “I thought I made it up
—I must have heard about them from someone.”
“You two! I said no talking!” Frank yelled, pointing his gun at the twins.
Alex and Conner went silent. The Rat Pack walked around the bank and
patrolled their hostages. They nudged the terrified citizens with their feet and
laughed wildly as the hostages cowered and squirmed. After a few minutes of
lying uncomfortably on the floor and watching the robbers torment the men
and women, Alex was very eager to see the Ziblings come to the rescue. It
was taking all her self-control not to transform the Rat Pack into actual
rodents.
Conner tapped his sister and gestured to one of the windows. Alex looked
up and saw the silhouette of a man wearing a cape. He stood heroically with
his hands on his hips. Alex was so excited to see a real superhero that her
stomach filled with butterflies, but the feeling quickly subsided. It took a
moment for the superhero to enter the bank, not because he was conducting a
plan, but because he couldn’t open the window.
Finally, with a strong tug, the hero managed to pry it open. He crawled
through the small opening, but then he stepped on his cape and slipped off the
windowsill. He crashed onto the floor behind a desk with a very loud thump.
Everyone in the bank heard the crash and jerked their head toward it. The Rat
Pack clutched their guns tighter and slowly approached the desk. The
hostages waited on pins and needles, hoping it was someone who had come
to their rescue.
The superhero jumped out from behind the desk and struck the same
heroic pose he had held in the window. After a closer look, Alex was
surprised to see he was actually an adorable boy no more than twelve years
old. He wore a sky-blue suit and a dark blue mask, with matching gloves,
boots, and cape. He had messy dark hair, plump cheeks, and green eyes.
Upon seeing him, the robbers snickered and the hostages lost all hope.
Apparently no one had much faith in the hero’s capability.
“Don’t worry, boys, it’s just Bolt.” Frank laughed. “The Ziblings have
sent the runt of the litter!”
Bolt shifted uncomfortably at the blatant disrespect.
“Hello, Rat Pack,” the boy said in a tone obviously deeper than his real
voice. “I see you’ve escaped prison and gone right back to your old tricks. I
guess you can take the rats out of the garbage, but you can’t take the garbage
out of the rats!”
“‘But you can’t take the garbage out of the rats,’” Frank mocked him.
“You really need to work on your playful jargon if you want to be taken
seriously.”
“And you need to work on following the law,” Bolt said. “Good thing
there are people like me to put you back in your place!”
Frank turned to his henchmen. “Get him,” he said. “But don’t waste your
bullets—he isn’t worth it.”
The boy’s face turned bright red. “Oh, yes I am!” he argued. “I’m worth
all the bullets you got!”
Bolt became angry and his superpowers were activated. His body was
covered in static electricity, his messy hair rose above his head, and tiny
electric waves buzzed around his fingertips. Bolt somersaulted toward Frank,
and with the lightest touch of his index finger, he zapped the robber on the
leg.
“Ouch,” Frank said. “That almost hurt a little.”
The boy cartwheeled to Sammy and Dean and shocked them on the arms.
He dived to the other side of the bank and zapped Joey on the nose and Peter
on the ear. Bolt was very proud of himself, but his efforts did little to wound
the Rat Pack. They just looked more irritated than before.
“I changed my mind. Shoot him,” Frank instructed.
Bolt flew through the air to avoid the bullet, not with the grace of an eagle
or a hawk, but with the clumsiness of a baby bird. His erratic flight pattern
made it very difficult for the Rat Pack to aim their guns at him, so they
flipped their weapons over and swung them like baseball bats. Frank knocked
Bolt out of the air and the not-so-super-hero hit the floor.
“Tie him up,” Frank ordered, and eyed the hostages. “And for the rest of
you—show’s over, back to work!”
The Rat Pack tied Bolt to a chair and the tellers continued emptying the
vault. Eventually the vault was cleared out entirely and the duffel bags were
bulging with cash and gold. The tellers handed the bags back to the Rat Pack
and the robbers headed for the door. Bolt tried to free himself from the
restraints, but they were too strong.
“This transaction has been a pleasure,” Frank announced to the bank.
“See you next time!”
Suddenly, a thunderous crash came from above. Three more superheroes
dropped in from the domed ceiling—the rest of the Ziblings had arrived!
The oldest Zibling was about sixteen and very athletic. He wore a bright
yellow tank top, baggy yellow pants, big sneakers, and a headband. His
muscly arms were bare and caught fire as soon as he touched the ground.
The second-oldest Zibling was a fifteen-year-old girl. She wore a pink suit
with a built-in miniskirt. She had sandy-blond hair that was braided into two
long pigtails. She had complete control over her hair and twirled her braids
like the blades of a helicopter until she came to a safe landing.
The third-oldest Zibling wore a dark green suit and a leather jacket.
Instead of a mask, he wore very dark sunglasses. His arms transformed into
large feathered wings as he glided to the floor, then transformed back once he
landed.
All the citizens, tellers, and bankers sighed with relief at the older
Ziblings’ arrival. The Rat Pack robbers simultaneously gulped and eyed one
another nervously. Bolt rolled his eyes at his siblings’ splashy entrance—he
had been hoping to handle the Rat Pack without them.
“Hello, Frank, Sammy, Dean, Joey, and Peter,” the oldest said, acting as
the Ziblings’ leader. “Have you come out of the sewer for fresh air?”
“Hello, Blaze, Whipney, and Morph,” Frank said. “Have you come to
save your little brother?”
“I don’t need to be saved!” Bolt said. “Being tied to this chair is part of
my plan, which you guys are kind of ruining!”
The Ziblings ignored their little brother as if he weren’t even in the room.
They locked eyes with the Rat Pack and never looked away.
“We’ve come to take you and your boys back to prison, Frank,” Blaze
said. “You belong in a cage just like all the other rodents.”
The Ziblings charged toward the Rat Pack and the robbers ran for the
door.
Morph jumped in front of them and transformed into a brick wall. His
sunglasses were his only remaining physical trait. He was now blocking the
robbers’ exit, so they ran for the back door. Whipney whipped her head back
and forth and her braids wrapped around Sammy’s and Dean’s ankles. She
raised them into the air and knocked them into each other, and they fell
unconscious to the ground.
Joey and Peter aimed their guns at Blaze. He pointed at them and two
fiery geysers blasted out of his fingertips. The robbers were set on fire and
they dropped to the floor and rolled around to extinguish the flames. Morph
transformed into a huge cage and Whipney scooped up Dean, Sammy, Joey,
and Peter with her hair and threw the robbers inside it. They had caught all
the rats in the pack except for one.
Frank jumped over the wooden counter and ran to the back of the bank.
He jumped inside the vault and locked the enormous metal door behind him.
Blaze followed him and pressed his palms against the vault door. He heated
the vault so much, the door turned bright orange and melted away. Whipney
reached into the vault with her hair, pulled Frank out, and tossed him into the
cage with the others.
The bank hostages leaped to their feet in celebration. They cheered and
applauded their rescuers. Everyone was thrilled the Ziblings had saved
another day in Big City, USA—everyone but Bolt.
“You’re in so much trouble,” Blaze told his little brother.
“Why?” Bolt said. “I had everything under control before you showed
up.”
“You know the rules,” Whipney said. “No crime fighting until your
homework is done, and Dad doesn’t want you doing it without us!”
“I can take care of myself,” Bolt said. “I can do anything you guys can,
you just never give me the chance! You never let me prove myself!”
“Prove yourself?” said the cage Morph had turned into. “You can’t get
out of that chair!”
“How are you supposed to help people if you can’t even help yourself?”
Whipney said.
Tears came to Bolt’s eyes and he looked away from his siblings. It was an
expression layered with embarrassment, frustration, self-doubt, and heartache
all in one. Alex knew that look. She could have sworn she’d seen it
somewhere before.
Suddenly, memories surfaced like a movie playing in her mind. Alex
flashed back to when she and Conner were in elementary school.
“Let’s go around the room and say what we all want to be when we grow
up,” their second-grade teacher told the class.
“A doctor!” said a boy.
“A senator!” said a girl.
“A teacher!” Alex remembered saying.
Her brother sat up at his desk, excited to share his answer.
“A fireman!” he said. “I want to help people!”
Even then, Conner wasn’t as good a student as Alex was. He had trouble
learning to read, how to spell, and how to do math. He was always asking
Alex for help with his homework and she became mad that he couldn’t keep
up with her. So when Conner gave his answer about his plans for the future,
Alex was inclined to respond.
“A fireman?” she asked. “How are you supposed to help people if you
can’t help yourself?”
Everyone in the class laughed. Alex didn’t mean any harm by it; she was
so young, it just slipped out of her mouth. Even though it had happened
almost ten years before, the expression on Conner’s face had been engraved
in her memory forever. It was exactly how Bolt looked at his siblings now.
Soon, the front steps of the bank were filled with police and reporters.
Morph transformed back into his human form and he, Whipney, and Blaze
pushed the Rat Pack robbers outside and into the hands of the police. The
Ziblings spoke with the reporters about what had happened. They took all the
credit and soaked up the attention, leaving Bolt tied to the chair inside.
“Now’s a good time to sneak into the Zibling Mobile,” Conner whispered
to Alex.
The twins exited the Big City Bank through the back door and Alex
followed Conner into the alley behind it. The Zibling Mobile was a bright red
convertible with rocket engines and a bright yellow Z painted on the side.
The car was parked out of sight between two dumpsters, but Conner knew
exactly where to find it.
He felt around the back tire and pulled a spare key out of a hidden
compartment. He opened the trunk and crawled inside it.
“Come on,” Conner said, and offered his sister a hand.
Alex hesitated before joining him. Something heavy was weighing on her
heart.
“Quick question,” she said. “Is this story based on anything that happened
in real life? Anything that might have happened between us?”
Conner thought about it, but shook his head.
“Nope, this one is completely made up,” he said. “I just loved superheroes
when I was a kid. ‘The Ziblings’ was one of the first stories I ever wrote.”
Alex didn’t press the issue further; she just nodded and climbed into the
trunk with him.
Conner may have forgotten what happened in the second grade, but Alex
couldn’t shake it. It wasn’t just the mean exchange in elementary school that
bothered her, though. Alex was worried “The Ziblings” was much closer to
home than Conner realized, and that she might be the story’s villain.
CHAPTER TWENTY
 PROFESSOR WALLET’S SECRET
LABORATORY

The Zibling Mobile zoomed through the streets of Big City, USA, tossing
Alex and Conner around the trunk like clothes in a washing machine. Every
turn was sharper than the one before, every acceleration was more forceful,
and the vehicle never slowed down or came to a stop. It had only two speeds:
fast and faster.
“Who the heck is driving this thing?” Alex asked.
“Blaze just got his license,” Conner said. “He’s a little zealous about it.”
The Zibling Mobile ran over speed bumps, causing the twins to slam into
the top of the trunk.
“I bet his driving puts more people in danger than all the robbers and
criminal masterminds combined!” Alex said.
It was pitch-black in the trunk, so the twins had no clue which street or
neighborhood the vehicle was cruising through. Conner was able to track
their whereabouts to a certain point, but Blaze’s reckless diving was so
discombobulating, he didn’t even know if they were still headed for Professor
Wallet’s laboratory.
“How much longer are we going to be in this thing?” Alex asked. “I feel
like a scrambled egg.”
“The laboratory is deep underground just a few miles outside of the city,”
Conner said. “At the speed Blaze is driving, it shouldn’t take much longer.”
“And how exactly do we get to the laboratory?” Alex asked. “I’m
assuming there’s more involved than just surface streets.”
“They have to go into the Big City Lake, through the sewer, and down an
abandoned subway tunnel,” Conner said.
“Can their car go underwater?” Alex asked.
“Of course their car doesn’t go underwater,” Conner said. “It turns into a
submarine first.”
 The twins heard a bunch of mechanisms moving throughout the vehicle as
it converted into a submarine. Then they heard a big splash outside, and a
moment later the trunk began filling with water.
“We must be in the lake,” Conner said.
“I thought you said the vehicle turns into a submarine!” Alex said.
“Apparently everything but the trunk,” he said. “Gosh, I never thought I’d
have to be that specific!”
Alex snapped her fingers and the water stopped. The Zibling Mobile
moved into the sewer, and the twins gagged and covered their noses with
their shirts. There wasn’t enough magic in the world to keep out the smell.
The Zibling Mobile converted back into a car, and its tires touched solid
ground again. The vehicle rattled and shook as it drove over the tracks of the
abandoned subway passage. It was so bumpy, the twins became nauseated.
Right before they were about to vomit, the car came to an abrupt stop.
They heard the vehicle’s doors open and close as the Ziblings got out.
Conner popped the trunk just a crack, and he and Alex peered out.
“We’re here,” he whispered. “This is Professor Wallet’s secret
laboratory.”
The underground laboratory was built on a former subway platform. The
Zibling Mobile was parked on the subway tracks below it and was only one
of many methods of transportation. There was a Zibling Jet, a Zibling
Speedboat, Zibling Motorcycles, Zibling Segways, and even a Zibling
Carriage with robotic horses.
The laboratory had everything a secret superhero base could need. There
was a wall of televisions with live news feeds from every major city in the
world. There were giant computers, microscopes, test tubes, data servers, and
generators. In the center of the laboratory was a big red lightbulb that went
off whenever a crisis occurred. All the appliances were neatly labeled in case
there was any confusion over what the object was.
Not only was Professor Wallet a devoted astrophysicist, he was also a
proud father. The laboratory was decorated with photos of his adopted
children and tokens of their accomplishments. The Ziblings’ very first
superhero suits were framed and hung on the walls. There was a lit candle
with a plaque that read “Blaze’s First Flame.” A lock of hair and a pair of
mangled scissors were on display and tagged “Whipney’s First Haircut.”
There was a photo of a trash can wearing sunglasses marked “Morph’s First
Transformation.” Another photo, of a toddler sucking on a glowing lightbulb
like a binky, was labeled “Bolt’s First Spark.”
There was also a wall covered with a giant map of Big City, USA. The
map was bordered with mug shots of all the criminals the Ziblings had
brought to justice. Pieces of yarn stretched from the mug shots to the places
on the map where the criminals had been caught.
Each Zibling had a corner of the laboratory filled with personal
belongings. Blaze had a collection of hot sauces, matches, and fire
extinguishers. Whipney had a vanity full of hair products and industrial-
strength brushes and combs. Morph had framed butterflies, moths, beetles,
wasps, and shelves of photography books—all inspiration for metamorphosis.
Bolt had a desk where he made figurines out of old batteries.
Whipney printed out five mug shots of the Rat Pack and placed them on
the wall with the others. Blaze went to the computer and dialed a number on
the keypad.
“What are you doing?” Bolt asked.
“I’m calling Dad,” Blaze said. “He needs to know you left the laboratory
without permission—again.”
“Tattletale!” Bolt said.
A few moments later, Professor Wallet appeared on the computer screen.
He was an older man with a gray beard and thick glasses that magnified his
blue eyes. He wore a turquoise turtleneck and a white lab coat. The professor
held his communication device way too close to his face and the camera was
aimed up his nostrils.
“Hello, children,” the professor said. “Is this an emergency? I’m just
about to step into a meeting with the German chancellor about her new anti-
matter research program.”
“It’s not an emergency, but someone snuck out of the laboratory to fight
crime on his own again,” Blaze said, and nodded at Bolt.
The professor rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “Oh, Bolt,” he said
disappointedly. “What am I going to do with you?”
“It’s not fair!” Bolt said. “Blaze, Whipney, and Morph were allowed to
fight crime on their own when they were my age!”
“Young man, we’ve been over this a hundred times,” Professor Wallet
said. “Your abilities haven’t reached their full potential yet. The radiation
from the asteroid reacted differently with each of your DNA, meaning your
powers will peak at a different time than your siblings’. Remember, not all
flowers bloom in the spring.”
“What if I’m more like a Venus flytrap than a flower?” Bolt argued.
“Maybe my powers are just waiting for an opportunity to show up!”
“Science doesn’t work that way,” the professor said. “I don’t make the
rules to upset you—I make them to protect you. You’re grounded until I get
back home.”
Bolt grunted and stomped his feet. He sulked over to his corner of the
laboratory, zapping Blaze on the ear as he went, and then pouted at his desk.
“I’m being summoned into the chancellor’s office,” the professor said.
“I’ll call you tonight when I get to my hotel room.”
“Tell the chancellor we said hello,” Morph said.
“And tell her I love the new highlights!” Whipney said.
The professor looked confused. “Of the anti-matter program?” he asked.
Whipney sighed. “No, Dad, in her hair,” she said.
“Oh, of course,” the professor said. “I will pass along the message. Good-
bye, children.”
The professor hung up and disappeared from the computer screen. The
Ziblings went to their respective corners to decompress. Blaze drank a bottle
of hot sauce like it was water and did push-ups. Whipney’s hair unbraided
and brushed itself while she flipped through a magazine. Morph looked at a
photography book and practiced transforming into the objects he saw. Bolt
played with his battery figurines and tied a tissue around one to give it a cape.
Conner quietly closed the trunk of the car to have a private word with his
sister.
“Here’s my plan,” Conner said. “We’re going to get out and tell them
we’re reporters from the Otherworld Times, a syndicated school newspaper
that runs in twenty-five states. We’ll say we’re looking to do a personal-
interest piece on the bravest, strongest, and smartest superhero in the country.
And to prove which one of them deserves the title, we’ll take them to the
fairy-tale world, where whoever defeats the most soldiers in the Literary
Army will be the winner. What do you think?”
Alex definitely saw some flaws in her brother’s plan, but she kept them to
herself. She was still consumed by guilt from her realization at the bank. She
never wanted to discourage her brother again.
“Brilliant!” she said. “That’s a great idea—no, it’s an amazing idea! Gosh,
all your ideas are so wonderful. I don’t know how you do it.”
Even though the trunk was dark, Conner gave his sister a funny look.
Something was up. Alex was never that supportive. He worried she might
have hit her head in the car ride over.
“Alex, are you feeling okay?” he asked.
Before she could answer, the red lightbulb in the center of the laboratory
started flashing and a loud siren went off. The Ziblings jumped to their feet
like protective canines and ran to the wall of televisions. They scanned the
screens and saw a frantic reporter on the French news. Blaze turned up the
volume and pressed a button so the reporter’s words were translated into
English.
“Paris is under attack,” the reporter said from the newsroom. “The mad
scientist and criminal mastermind known as the Snake Lord, notorious for his
interactions with the Ziblings in Big City, USA, has taken over the Eiffel
Tower!”
The news program played footage of the Snake Lord from earlier that day.
He was a tall, muscular middle-aged man with a villainous scowl. His eyes
were yellow with narrow pupils like a reptile. He wore a large helmet shaped
like the head of a king cobra and a long purple cape. The Snake Lord licked
his lips and exposed a forked tongue.
“That slithering son of a gun!” Blaze said.
The Snake Lord was accompanied by two sidekicks, a man and a woman
—but neither appeared to be entirely human. They had scaly green skin, large
nostrils, and reptilian eyes. The man had an orange Mohawk and a collar like
a frilled lizard. The woman had red horns and long nails like the claws of a
raptor.
“Collared Joe and Lizzy Liza are with him!” Whipney said, and raised a
lock of hair at the screen.
“He’s got more friends than that,” Morph said. “Look!”
The three criminals were followed by a long procession of thousands and
thousands of serpents. There were boa constrictors, pythons, anacondas, and
even tiny garden snakes. The serpents were colorful and moved behind the
Snake Lord like a slithering rainbow.
The news showed footage of the Snake Lord and his scaly accomplices
storming the base of the Eiffel Tower. They knocked down security guards in
their way, and hundreds of tourists ran for their lives. The snakes formed a
circle around the Eiffel Tower and didn’t let any of the Parisian police pass.
The camera zoomed in on a device the Snake Lord was carrying that
looked like a mini-satellite.
“The Snake Lord has the Reptilalizer!” Bolt said in horror.
“At this time, the Snake Lord hasn’t made any demands and isn’t holding
any civilians hostage,” the reporter said. “It is a complete mystery as to why
he has come to Paris and what he wants with the Eiffel Tower.”
The Ziblings shared fearful looks with one another.
“It isn’t a mystery to us!” Blaze said. “We’ve got to get to Paris and stop
him! Ziblings to the jet!”
The four superheroes ran straight to the Zibling Jet parked on the subway
track.
Conner was more upset by the news than any of the superheroes were.
“This is terrible,” Conner said.
“Hold the phone,” Alex said. “The Snake Lord? The Reptilalizer? You
never mentioned any of that before we left.”
“That’s because I forgot how short this story is. It moves much faster than
the other ones,” he said. “The Snake Lord is the Ziblings’ arch-nemesis. He
was a scientist who used to work with Professor Wallet. A failed experiment
turned him and his research assistants into partial reptiles. When Professor
Wallet couldn’t reverse the effects, the Snake Lord became evil. He invented
a helmet that gave him control over all reptiles. The Reptilalizer is his newest
invention, and it turns mammals into reptiles. It has to be activated from the
tallest point in a city—that’s why he’s at the Eiffel Tower!”
“So once he activates it, he’ll turn everyone in Paris into a reptile and be
able to control them!” Alex said as she figured it out. “That’s intense!”
The Ziblings climbed aboard the jet and strapped themselves into the
seats, but Blaze blocked Bolt from entering.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Blaze asked.
“I’m going to Paris to fight the Snake Lord with you guys,” Bolt said.
“No you’re not,” Blaze said. “You heard Dad—you’re grounded.”
“Oh, come on,” Bolt argued. “The Snake Lord is the toughest bad guy
we’ve ever fought! You’re going to need help!”
“Exactly. Which is why you need to stay in the laboratory,” Blaze said.
“We’ll have our hands full saving the people of Paris—we won’t be able to
watch you. If you come with us, you’ll just be a burden.”
 Bolt’s posture sank almost an entire foot. He had never been called a
burden before.
“But… but… but I’m a superhero,” Bolt said with a quivering lip.
Blaze sighed. “No you’re not,” he said. “You’re just a kid with tricks.”
Blaze closed the jet’s door right in front of Bolt’s face and joined
Whipney and Morph in the cockpit. The engines roared and the Zibling Jet
rocketed down the abandoned subway, heading for Paris.
Bolt waited until his brothers and sister were gone and then burst into
tears. He went to his corner of the laboratory and cried at his desk. Once it
was out of his system, he tried to make himself feel better by playing with his
homemade figurines. He picked up the one with the tissue cape and moved it
through the air like it was flying.
“Here he comes now to save the day!” Bolt said, pretending he was a
news reporter. “It’s the world’s favorite Zibling—it’s Bolt!”
Fantasizing about being a real superhero only made him feel worse. Bolt
crumpled up the figurine until it was nothing but a pile of used batteries. He
rested his head on his desk and continued crying.
“We need a new plan to recruit the Ziblings,” Conner whispered to Alex.
“Any ideas? Alex?”
He turned to his sister and saw that the sad little superhero had brought
Alex to tears. In fact, she looked sadder than Bolt did.
“Alex, are you okay?” he asked.
“Conner, I’m so sorry.” She sniffled.
“Sorry for what?” Conner asked.
“Sorry if I ever made you feel like that,” Alex cried. “I know you don’t
remember, but there was a time I treated you exactly like the Ziblings are
treating Bolt—and just like them, I had no idea how much I was hurting you.
This story is much more personal than you think. It’s about us.”
“Alex, I think you’re over-reacting,” he said.
“You just don’t see it,” Alex said. “Since we were kids, people have
always compared us to each other. Everyone always shamed you for not
getting good grades like me, for not being as mature as me, or for not being
as organized as me. But no one ever made me feel bad for not being more like
you—I had no idea what it was like. But now that I’m watching Bolt, I see
how painful it must have been.”
At first Conner thought his sister was crazy. There was no way a silly
story he wrote could have been that meaningful. But the more she explained,
the more sense it made. Alex had always been capable of so many things, she
was like a superhero in his mind, a superhero he could never live up to.
“I apologize if I ever made you feel bad about yourself or made you feel
left behind,” Alex said. “You’ve always been so supportive of me, and I
should have returned the favor more often. You’re so gifted and deserve a lot
more champions than just Mrs. Peters. I’m sorry it took a trip into your
stories for me to see that.”
Conner had no idea what to say. He looked around at the world of the
Ziblings as if he were seeing his own story for the first time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
 CITY OF LIGHTNING

The Ziblings have arrived in Paris! I repeat, the Ziblings have arrived in
Paris!” the French reporter announced. “Parisians can take a deep breath! It
looks like help is here!”
The twins were still sitting in the trunk of the Zibling Mobile. Conner was
trying to come up with a new plan to recruit the superheroes, but all he could
think about was his sister’s analysis of his story. Was there really more to the
Ziblings than he realized?
“So what happens next?” Alex asked.
“The Snake Lord captures the Ziblings at the Eiffel Tower,” Conner said.
“When Professor Wallet returns to the laboratory, he gives Bolt a pep talk
that boosts his confidence. Bolt goes to Paris to save his brothers and sister,
and when he faces the Snake Lord, the rest of his powers kick in and he saves
the day.”
“Oh, Professor Wallet must be based on Mrs. Peters!” Alex said. “She’s
the person who gave you the confidence to write—and it activated the rest of
your abilities!”
“Stop analyzing and focus,” Conner said. “Professor Wallet doesn’t get
back to the laboratory for a week. We need to boost Bolt’s confidence or
we’ll be stuck here for a couple days.”
“Can’t you and I just go to Paris and save the Ziblings ourselves?” Alex
asked.
“No. The Ziblings are too divided right now,” Conner explained. “We
need them working as a team if we want them to help us fight the Literary
Army. When Bolt saves them, he restores their bond as a family.”
“Got it,” Alex said. “So how do we make him confident enough to go?”
Conner scratched his head as he thought about it. He peeked out of the
trunk and saw that Bolt was still pouting at his desk.
“He wants nothing more than to be a superhero,” Conner said. “So let’s
make him feel like a superhero. We’ll still pretend we’re student reporters
from the Otherworld Times, but we’ll say we’re doing a story all about him.”
Alex nodded. “Let’s look the part,” she said.
She snapped her fingers and a notepad and pen appeared in Conner’s
hands. Alex snapped again and a camera appeared hanging around her neck.
The twins quietly crawled out of the Zibling Mobile, tiptoed across the
subway tracks, and climbed onto the platform. Conner knocked on the wall of
mug shots like it was a door.
“Excuse me?” he called into the laboratory. “Is this Professor Wallet’s
secret underground laboratory?”
The voice startled Bolt and he jumped up from his desk. He had never
seen strangers in the laboratory before. He eyed the twins suspiciously and
made fists with his hands.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked.
“Oh my goodness!” Conner said. “It’s the incredible Bolt himself! We
must be in the right place!”
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we’re seeing him in person!” Alex said.
The twins acted starstruck. They giddily jumped up and down like they
were meeting their idol. Their enthusiasm made Bolt stand a little taller.
“Who are you?” he asked. “How did you find the laboratory?”
“I’m Conner and this is my photographer, Alex,” Conner said. “We’re
from the Otherworld Times. Professor Wallet didn’t tell you we were
coming?”
“No,” Bolt said. “What’s the Otherworld Times?”
“It’s a syndicated school newspaper that’s printed in over twenty-five
states nationwide,” Conner explained. “We’re here to do a human-interest
piece on you. We asked our readers who their favorite Zibling was, and over
seventy percent of those polled said it was you. Congratulations!”
Bolt couldn’t believe it. His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.
He had never been anyone’s favorite anything before.
“Me?” he said in shock. “But… but… but why?”
Conner hadn’t thought this part of his plan through yet. He looked to Alex
for help.
“Because you’re the Zibling our readers identify with,” she said. “They
think it’s very brave of you to fight criminals much bigger and older than
you. You inspire young kids around the country to go after their own dreams
—despite their size or age!”
 Bolt held a hand over the lightning bolt on his chest. He had never been so
honored in his life.
“I never thought I was so inspirational,” he said.
“Would you mind if we interviewed you and took some pictures?” Conner
asked.
“Would I mind?” Bolt asked. “Please—I insist!”
The superhero checked his reflection in the computer screen and
straightened his hair. He pulled up two chairs for him and Conner to sit in
while they chatted. Conner scanned his blank notepad as if it were full of
questions. Alex walked around them and took photos while they spoke.
“Now, tell us, what’s it like being a superhero?” Conner asked.
Bolt hesitated to answer. Truthfully, he had never felt more unlike a
superhero than today. But he didn’t want to disappoint the readers of the
Otherworld Times, so he gave the answers he thought they’d want to hear.
“It’s the best job in the whole world!” Bolt said. “The asteroid hitting our
orphanage was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Conner scribbled down notes so quickly, he wasn’t even writing real
words.
“What’s your favorite part about being a hero?” Conner asked.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Bolt said. “Helping people! I love seeing the relief in
their eyes after they’re rescued from a burning building, or a runaway train,
or a sinking ship. Actually, I’ve never saved anyone myself, but I’ve been
with my brothers and sister when they have.”
The thought made Bolt a little sad and he sank in his chair. Conner
quickly changed the subject to keep his spirits up.
“Our readers love watching you fly,” he said. “Do you have any special
techniques that get you off the ground?”
“Actually, I’m still working on the whole flying thing,” Bolt said, like it
was a secret. “Hopefully I’ll get better at it one day. Never go so high you’re
afraid to look down: That’s my motto.”
“Words to live by,” Conner said. “And what about all that electricity you
produce? Where does it come from?”
“According to my dad, my body generates a lot of friction, which pulls the
electricity out of the environment around me,” Bolt said. “Right now I can
light up a fourteen-watt battery all by myself, but I’m hoping to get to a sixty-
watt by the end of the year.”
 “That’s very impressive!” Conner said. “It makes perfect sense why our
readers said they’d prefer having your powers over any of your siblings’.”
“Really?” Bolt asked. “That’s crazy because most of the time I wish I
could switch! I think it would be so cool to create fire like Blaze, or turn into
stuff like Morph, or use my hair for chores like Whipney.”
The more Conner buttered him up, the happier he became. With every
picture Alex took, Bolt had a bigger and bigger smile. So far, their plan
seemed to be working.
“Nice. This is all such great stuff,” Conner said. “What would you say to
someone who wanted to be a superhero as amazing as you?”
It took Bolt a few moments to respond. He had never thought anyone
would want to be a superhero like him. He wanted to give his followers an
answer from his heart.
“I suppose it would be to never give up,” he said. “Courage is what makes
a superhero super!”
Suddenly, the red lightbulb in the center of the laboratory lit up and the
crisis alarm sounded again. The twins and Bolt turned to the television and
saw that the situation in Paris had become much worse.
“Breaking news,” the panicked reporter said. “The Snake Lord has
captured the Ziblings! I repeat, the Snake Lord has captured the Ziblings!
Something has gone wrong in their attempt to save the city. There is still no
information at this time of what the Snake Lord is doing at the Eiffel Tower
or what he is now planning to do with the Ziblings.”
The news played live footage from a helicopter circling the Eiffel Tower.
Blaze, Whipney, and Morph were wrapped around the base of the tower’s
antenna by a large anaconda. They were so close together, Blaze couldn’t use
his powers without burning his brother and sister. It was so tight between
them that Morph couldn’t transform into anything. A rattlesnake was
covering Whipney’s head like a turban, constricting her hair.
The Snake Lord was standing on a small platform at the very top of the
Eiffel Tower’s antenna. Screw by screw, he attached the Reptilalizer to the
antenna and connected it to the tower’s power. He operated unwaveringly
and never looked up from the device.
Bolt was horrified to see that his family had been captured. Even though
they’d known it was coming, Alex and Conner pretended to be just as
surprised as him.
 “This is awful!” he said. “The Snake Lord is going to turn everyone in
Paris into a reptile!”
“Good thing there’s still one Zibling left who can save them,” Alex said.
The boy shook his head and paced back and forth. He couldn’t fathom
facing such a threat without the help of his brothers and sister.
“I can’t defeat the Snake Lord on my own!” Bolt said. “My powers
haven’t reached their full potential yet! I’m no match for him.”
“Sure you are,” Conner said. “You’re the Otherworld Times’ favorite
superhero!”
“No I’m not!” Bolt exclaimed. “Your readers got it wrong. I’m not even a
real superhero. My own family said it! I’m just a boy with tricks! The Snake
Lord is going to win, and there’s nothing I can do about it!”
Bolt went to his corner of the laboratory and sat at his desk. Alex and
Conner exchanged worried glances. They had built up his ego only to watch
it collapse like a building under demolition.
“I don’t think we can convince him,” Conner said to his sister. “To be
honest, I’m not sure I would go to Paris if I were in his shoes.”
“But you were in his shoes once,” Alex said. “Bolt is you. He represents
the little boy inside you who used to doubt himself. You have to be his Mrs.
Peters—tell him exactly what you would have wanted to hear.”
It was unsettling how Alex understood Conner’s characters better than he
did, but that’s how he knew she was right. He let out a deep sigh and walked
over to Bolt.
“For what it’s worth, I know how you feel,” Conner told him. “I used to
doubt myself a lot. When people told me I wasn’t good enough, I believed
them. It’s hard not to when you’re young.”
“Tell me about it,” Bolt said. “Does it get better when you’re older?”
“It did for me,” Conner said.
“How?” Bolt asked.
“Someone else believed in me,” Conner said. “All it took was one
person’s approval and suddenly I believed in myself, too. It gave me a shield
to block out all the doubt and negativity. It made me realize I was just as
capable and deserving as the people I compared myself to. But you know
what? I was wrong.”
“You were?” Bolt asked.
“Totally,” Conner said. “I didn’t need someone else. I had confidence in
myself, deep down inside, the whole time. Approval is just a shortcut to self-
worth, but sometimes we have to find things out on our own. Sometimes if
we want something bad enough, we have to inspire ourselves to get it.
Sometimes we have to be our own superhero.”
Out of everything Conner said, he could tell this resonated with the boy
the most. If he wanted to help people, maybe he had to start with himself.
“But what if I fail?” Bolt asked. “What if the Snake Lord wins and I don’t
save anyone? Then I’ll never be a superhero.”
“A very wise man once told me that ‘courage is what makes a superhero
super,’” Conner said. “He never said anything about succeeding.”
Bolt looked down at the pile of used batteries on his desk. If the batteries
had feelings, he imagined they’d feel the same way he did: useless, crumpled,
and empty. But if he could glue junk together and turn it into a hero, he knew
he could make a hero out of himself, too. Bolt stood up from his desk and
looked Conner in the eye.
“Let’s go to Paris,” he said. “I’ve got a family and a city to save.”
“Attaboy!” Conner said. He patted Bolt on the back. The contact shocked
Conner’s hand and he yelped. “Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to.”
“How am I supposed to get to Paris in time?” Bolt asked. “My brothers
and sister took the jet.”
“Luckily for you, Alex and I happen to have a teleportation device,”
Conner said. “It’ll get us there in a matter of seconds.”
Alex did a double take. “We do?” she asked.
“Yes—you do,” Conner mouthed at his sister. “We’ll use your magic.”
“Oh, right.” Alex played along. “I completely forgot about the
teleportation device. I have it right here in my hand—it’s small and invisible.
Boy, it sure is easy to misplace.”
Bolt was impressed. “My dad doesn’t even have one of those,” he said.
“How did two school journalists get one?”
“Our school has a great science department,” Conner said. “More on that
later. Do you want to get to Paris or not?”
Alex put her arms around Bolt and Conner and they formed a group hug.
She had never magically transported between locations in one of her
brother’s stories before. She hoped it would work like it did in the fairy-tale
world. Alex closed her eyes and visualized the Ziblings tied to the Eiffel
Tower’s antenna by the anaconda and also remembered how desperately she
and Conner needed the superheroes to defeat the Literary Army.
“Activating the teleportation device,” she said. “Here goes nothing.”
With a bright flash, the twins and Bolt disappeared from Professor
Wallet’s secret laboratory. The first thing they felt was a cool night breeze.
They looked around and saw lush rectangular lawns, fountains, and a winding
river. There were gorgeous buildings for miles around with tall windows,
domes, columns, steeples, and French flags. Every building was lit up like the
entire city was in the middle of a photo shoot.
“We’re definitely in Paris,” Alex said. “But I don’t see the Eiffel Tower
anywhere.”
“That’s because we’re in the Eiffel Tower,” Conner said. “Check it out!”
After further inspection, she realized they were hundreds of feet in the air.
Alex had transported them directly onto the roof of the lower observation
deck. The rest of the structure towered above them like the skeleton of a steel
giant. It was so tall, the twins got vertigo just looking at it. Despite the
circumstances, the Eiffel Tower was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
On the ground below, they saw the Snake Lord’s circle of serpents
keeping the Parisian police at bay. Beyond the police were thousands of
French citizens observing the scene. A dozen news helicopters flew in the air
around the Eiffel Tower and they shined their spotlights on Bolt and the twins
as soon as they arrived.
It was a blessing they did, because the spotlights illuminated Collared Joe
and Lizzy Liza sneaking up behind them.
“Bolt, look out!” Conner yelled.
Collared Joe leaped toward Bolt and knocked him to the floor. Lizzy Liza
stood on her hands and kicked the twins. Alex and Conner rolled across the
roof and over the edge. Conner grabbed on to the ledge with one hand and his
sister with the other. They swung from the roof like rock climbers without a
harness. The observers below gasped and screamed.
As they climbed back over the ledge, Collared Joe and Lizzy Liza started
circling Bolt as he got to his feet. Collared Joe puffed his frilled neck out like
an umbrella around his head. Lizzy Liza scraped her claws across the roof
and hissed at the boy. They were like predators surrounding their prey.
“What a treat,” Collared Joe said. “All four Ziblings in one day! The
Snake Lord will be thrilled!”
“I say we keep the little one between us,” Lizzy Liza said. “I could use a
Znack, if you know what I mean.”
The overgrown reptiles cocked their heads and laughed. At that moment
Alex noticed something on the roof behind Bolt that had the potential to help
him, and she hoped he’d get the same idea when he saw it.
“Bolt—behind you!” Alex yelled.
Bolt turned around and saw the bucket of water she was referring to. He
ran to it and kicked it over. The water spilled across the roof as Collared Joe
and Lizzy Liza charged after him. Bolt put both hands down and sent electric
waves through the spill. The evil sidekicks’ feet and legs were electrocuted.
They hopped around the roof like it was covered in broken glass. They
tripped on each other and then fell over the edge of the observation deck and
never returned.
The twins crawled back onto the roof and Bolt helped them to their feet.
“Smart thinking, guys,” Conner said.
“My dad always says, ‘Science is a superpower in itself,’” Bolt said.
With Collared Joe and Lizzy Liza gone, the Snake Lord was the only
person preventing them from saving the city. The twins and the youngest
Zibling went to the edge of the roof and looked up at the Eiffel Tower’s
highest observation deck.
“We’ve got to get up there,” Alex said.
“No, it’s too dangerous,” Bolt said. “You both need to stay here. This is
between me and the Snake Lord.”
Alex opened her mouth to argue, but Conner gave her a look to keep
quiet. As he had explained before, for the Ziblings to reunite, Bolt had to face
the Snake Lord alone.
“Good luck, Bolt,” Alex said.
“We believe in you,” Conner said.
Bolt gave them a nervous salute. He flew into the air and ascended the
Eiffel Tower, gliding from steel beam to steel beam like a flying squirrel
jumping from branch to branch. Eventually, he made it all the way to the roof
of the highest observation deck, where he saw the other Ziblings at the base
of the antenna. Blaze, Whipney, and Morph were shocked and upset to see
their little brother.
“Bolt, what the heck are you doing here?” Blaze asked.
“I’m here to save you and the city,” Bolt said.
“No, get out of here while you still can!” Whipney said. “You can’t face
the Snake Lord alone!”
“You need to get Dad!” Morph said. “You can’t help us—you aren’t
strong enough!”
“It doesn’t take strength to be a superhero,” Bolt said. “It just takes
courage.”
Just like Conner, Bolt pretended he had a shield protecting him from all
the doubt and belittlement his siblings were sending him. He flew over them
to the antenna’s ladder and climbed up to the platform where the Snake Lord
stood.
The Snake Lord had reached the final step of the Reptilalizer’s
installation, and a pleased grin stretched across his face. It would only be a
matter of time before everyone in Paris was transformed into a reptile, and he
would have total control over the world’s most cosmopolitan city.
The Snake Lord was distracted by movement coming from beneath his
feet. He looked down just as the youngest Zibling was pulling himself onto
the platform. The Snake Lord kicked Bolt hard in the chest and he slipped
down the ladder.
It knocked the wind out of Bolt, but as soon as he caught his breath, he
climbed back up. When he reached the platform, the Snake Lord kicked him
down again. But no matter how many times the Snake Lord kicked Bolt
down the ladder, the boy was never going to give up. Even if he was kicked
down a hundred more times, Bolt was going to do whatever it took to keep
the Snake Lord from activating the Reptilalizer.
On the boy’s fifth trip up the ladder, the Snake Lord stared down at him
pityingly. Bolt’s determination amused him. Instead of kicking him down
again, the Snake Lord grabbed Bolt by the lightning logo on his suit and
looked the boy closely in the eye.
“You’re a brave little hero, I’ll give you that,” the Snake Lord said. “But
there’s a thin line between bravery and stupidity—and I’m afraid you just
crossed it.”
“And there’s a thin line between bad breath and halitosis,” Bolt said. “I’m
afraid you crossed that a while ago.”
The remark angered the Snake Lord to no end, so rather than putting Bolt
with his siblings, he threw the boy off the antenna. The youngest Zibling
plummeted toward the ground, falling so fast he couldn’t fly.
“Bolt!” the Ziblings yelled as they watched helplessly.
 He fell past Alex and Conner on the lower observation deck and landed
somewhere among the trees below the Eiffel Tower. It was over before the
twins even knew what was happening. They looked at each other in total
shock.
“This is all my fault,” Conner cried. “I pushed him too far. I made him
face the Snake Lord when he wasn’t ready! I killed him! Now the Ziblings
will never be united!”
Conner was so ashamed of himself, he buried his face in Alex’s shoulder.
She felt just as responsible and couldn’t find the words to comfort him.
“You murderer!” Blaze yelled at the Snake Lord.
“How could you do that to a child?” Whipney screamed.
“He was just a boy!” Morph shouted.
The Ziblings struggled against the anaconda binding them, but the large
snake only tightened its squeeze. The Snake Lord finished the final phase of
the Reptilalizer’s installation and laughed uproariously to himself.
“The Reptilalizer is complete!” he announced. “Not only have you lost a
brother, but once I activate my invention, you’ll be the first people in Paris to
turn into reptiles! And with no Ziblings left, no one will ever stop me! Soon
the whole world will be in my control!”
The Snake Lord flipped the switch on the Reptilalizer and the machine
came to life. A thick green gas spewed from the antenna and traveled down
the Eiffel Tower like a looming fog. But just before it reached the Ziblings
below, the Eiffel Tower’s power unexpectedly went out. The Reptilalizer shut
off and the green gas dissipated in the night breeze.
“What in the name of Kaa?” the Snake Lord said, and desperately tried to
re-start his machine.
As the twins mourned the loss of Bolt, a strange phenomenon occurred in
the city around them. Not only did the Eiffel Tower lose its power, but all the
buildings in a ten-block radius blacked out, too. It was like the Reptilalizer
had blown Paris’s fuse.
“Wait a second,” Alex said. “Didn’t Bolt say his power comes from
absorbing the electricity around him?”
“Yeah, when he was alive,” Conner said. “But he’s dead—isn’t he?”
Suddenly, the twins’ hair rose above their heads and their bodies were
tickled by a strong wave of friction. They looked down to the trees where
Bolt had landed. The trees were buzzing and emitted a glowing bright white
light.
Bolt launched from the trees like a missile: He was alive and more
powerful than ever. Strong electric waves charged out of his body like he was
a human plasma ball. His body was producing so much friction that the air
hummed around him. His hair stood straight up above his head and his eyes
glowed with energy. Bolt had never looked so confident or capable in his life.
“It worked!” Conner said. “Bolt’s reached his full potential!”
“Go, Bolt!” Alex yelled.
Conner couldn’t have been more proud of the little superhero. Watching
Bolt flourish made him feel like a part of him had succeeded and beaten the
odds, too. The twins hugged in celebration.
Bolt soared back to the antenna of the Eiffel Tower. He pointed a finger at
the anaconda and rattlesnake restraining his siblings and zapped the reptiles
with electricity. The snakes curled into balls and fell to the ground. The
Ziblings couldn’t believe their eyes. It took them a moment to realize that
their rescuer was their brother.
“Bolt?” Blaze said.
“You’re alive!” Whipney said.
“And POWERFUL!” Morph said.
The youngest Zibling could have gloated, he could have made his brothers
and sister feel as lousy as they had made him feel, but none of that was as
important as saving the city.
“I have two friends on the roof of the lower observation deck,” Bolt said.
“Get them to safety and I’ll take care of the Snake Lord.”
The Ziblings didn’t argue with their brother. Blaze jumped off the tower,
and fiery blasts erupted from his feet like he was standing on a jetpack.
Whipney swung down the Eiffel Tower beam by beam, as if her hair were the
long arms of an orangutan. Morph turned into a huge paper airplane with
sunglasses and glided down to the lower observation deck to retrieve the
twins.
“Hop on!” Morph told them.
Alex and Conner climbed aboard the paper airplane, and the Ziblings
escorted them to the rectangular lawns below. Once they were safely on the
ground, the twins and Ziblings all looked up at the Eiffel Tower and
anxiously watched as Bolt went head-to-head with the Snake Lord.
At the top of the antenna, the Snake Lord was fidgeting with the wires and
gears of the Reptilalizer, but nothing he adjusted made the device regenerate.
Bolt landed on the platform behind him with so much force, the entire
structure rattled. He raised both hands toward the Reptilalizer and fired it
with electricity until it exploded.
If looks could kill, the Snake Lord would have murdered Bolt with his
hateful glare.
“You think you’re powerful?” he asked. “You have no idea what power
is!”
The eyes on the Snake Lord’s helmet started to glow. As if they were
connected by a wireless frequency, he sent instructions to the serpents
guarding the base of the Eiffel Tower. The snakes joined their bodies together
and formed one monstrous beast. Thousands of snakes made up of hundreds
of species were now slithering in perfect synchronicity. The gigantic reptile
coiled up the Eiffel Tower toward the antenna to join its master and attack
Bolt.
The observing twins, the Ziblings, the police, and the Parisian citizens all
screamed. They had never seen such a gargantuan creature take form. Bolt
only laughed at the approaching giant. In the Snake Lord’s ruthless quest for
power, the mad scientist had forgotten one basic scientific fact.
“Science 101,” Bolt said. “Nothing helps electricity move faster than
metal, and you just sent your entire entourage into a steel structure.”
The Snake Lord’s yellow reptilian eyes widened and his pupils shrank
into narrow slits. He had made a grave mistake. Bolt looked toward the sky
above the antenna and sent a wave of friction into the clouds, causing a
mighty bolt of lightning to descend and strike the Eiffel Tower.
The lightning illuminated the tower and it shone more brightly than it ever
had in history. Every lightbulb on the tower burst, covering it in tiny
explosions. The electricity coursing through the structure electrocuted the
Snake Lord and his scaly accomplices until there was nothing left of them but
burned dust.
When the lightning had finished, a thunderous roar erupted throughout
Paris. The Ziblings, the twins, the police, and all the witnessing Parisians
cheered and applauded the little superhero. Bolt flew down to the rectangular
lawn and joined the twins.
“Way to go!” Conner said. “I’d hug you, but I’m definitely not touching
you after all that!”
 “We knew you could do it!” Alex said.
Blaze, Whipney, and Morph sheepishly stepped toward Bolt. They hung
their heads shamefully, feeling so guilty they couldn’t even look their brother
in the eye.
“Bolt, we’re so sorry,” Blaze said.
“Thank you for saving our lives,” Whipney said.
“We should have believed in you,” Morph said.
Bolt stared blankly at his brothers and sister, not knowing what to say to
them. A sly grin appeared on his face. It felt so good to finally prove himself
that he didn’t care about proving them wrong.
“It’s okay,” he said. “All that matters is that I believed in myself. And I’ll
definitely find ways for you to make it up to me.”
The Ziblings went to speak with the French police and press. Blaze,
Whipney, and Morph gave all the credit for saving the city to their little
brother. The reporters crowded around him and praised him for his efforts.
The Parisians chanted Bolt’s name, and Blaze and Morph lifted their brother
onto their shoulders so the people could get a better look at him.
Bolt had never smiled so big in his whole life—he was finally a real
superhero.
“That’s so sweet,” Alex said. “This is such a great story, Conner.”
“Thank you,” he said. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about what
you said in the trunk of the Zibling Mobile. You were right. ‘The Ziblings’ is
definitely about us.”
Alex took a deep breath. “I told you,” she said. “And just to reiterate, I
want to apologize for anything I might have—”
“But you were wrong about one thing,” Conner interrupted. “Blaze,
Whipney, and Morph aren’t based on you. Alex, you might not realize it, but
you were the first person to encourage me to write. You’re my Professor
Wallet, not Mrs. Peters.”
“Me?” Alex said. “But… but… Mrs. Peters—”
“Mrs. Peters also tried getting me to finish my homework and study for
tests, but that never happened,” Conner said. “I don’t remember the second
grade, but I do remember the seventh. Just before we went into the fairy-tale
world to fight the Enchantress, I showed you my stories for the first time.
You liked them, you said they were special, and you gave me the confidence
to keep writing. It was your approval that inspired me—you were my
champion.”
Alex was more relieved than words could describe. Thinking she had
somehow harmed him in the past was the worst feeling in the world. She
hugged her brother, squeezing him so tight that he could barely breathe.
Professor Wallet appeared in the crowd of Parisians and pushed his way
through the people toward his children. He was so out of breath and sweaty,
he looked like he had run all the way from Germany.
“Dad!” Bolt said when he saw him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” the professor said. “The chancellor
let me borrow her plane. I’ve been watching the whole thing unfold on the
news!”
“I’m sorry I broke the rules again,” Bolt said. “I know I was grounded and
shouldn’t have left the laboratory, but the others were in danger, and I didn’t
want the Snake Lord to win, so I—”
Professor Wallet silenced his son with a hug. The embrace was slightly
electrifying, but the professor didn’t care.
“We can talk about the logistics at a different time,” Professor Wallet said.
“But right now, I couldn’t be more proud to be your father. It took a lot of
bravery for you to save all these people—bravery you must have found on
your own. Paris is known as the City of Light, but after tonight, I believe it’ll
be remembered as the City of Lightning.”
It was a touching display, and many of the observers teared up. The
reporters tried sticking their microphones closer to the father and son, but the
Ziblings pushed them back to give Bolt and the professor some privacy.
“It wasn’t all thanks to me,” Bolt said. “If it weren’t for my new friends, I
would never have had the confidence to come here. They taught me how to
believe in myself. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Bolt led the professor to the rectangular lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower
and introduced him to the twins.
“Conner and Alex, meet my dad, Professor Wallet,” he said.
“It’s a pleasure,” the professor said, and shook their hands. “Thank you
for giving my son the inspiration he needed to save his brothers and sister. If
there is anything we can do to return the favor, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Alex and Conner exchanged quick smiles.
“As a matter of fact,” Conner said. “We could use your help with
something.…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
 A CASTLE OF QUESTIONS

After a long and exhausting journey across the fairy-tale world, Emmerich
and the Masked Man arrived in the woods of the Eastern Kingdom. They had
only stopped to rest once since leaving the Dwarf Forests, and Emmerich was
so tired that he was falling asleep as they walked.
“We’re almost there,” the Masked Man said. “Keep up, boy.”
The closer they got to the portal, the more cross the Masked Man became.
Emmerich was starting to realize he wasn’t as nice a person as he had first
thought. The longer Emmerich accompanied the twins’ uncle, the louder a
voice in the back of his mind urged him not to trust the man.
They entered an area of the forest that Emmerich recognized. It was the
part of the woods he had entered with Conner and Bree on his first trip to the
fairy-tale world. He would never forget seeing the Grande Armée soldiers
raining down on the trees after they arrived.
“This is it,” the Masked Man said. “This is where I saw Morina activate
the portal. Now all I need is the magic panpipe. Let me think, which tree did
the witch stash it in?”
The twins’ uncle searched all the trees in the area. He stuck his hand in
every hole, crack, and bird nest in every tree trunk. Finally, he found the
instrument in the back of a squirrel’s nest.
“Aha!” the Masked Man said with delight. “I found it. Now I just need to
play the right tune and the portal will open.”
The Masked Man played a series of melodies on the panpipe. He waited a
few moments after each one, but none of the notes did the trick. Even when
he was certain he had remembered the correct tune, a portal to the Otherworld
did not appear.
“Blast that damn witch!” the Masked Man said. “Why isn’t it working?”
“Is it the right panpipe?” Emmerich asked.
“Of course it is,” he said. “Morina stole it from the fairies. I watched her
open the portal just a few days ago. For whatever reason, it won’t cooperate
with me.”
Emmerich thought back to when Conner played the panpipe and opened
the portal in Neuschwanstein Castle. He remembered there was something
very specific the instrument needed in order to work.
“It needs to be played by a person of magic blood,” Emmerich said. “That
must be why it isn’t working. My friend Bree thinks she and I might have
magic in our blood. Would you like me to give it a try?”
The magic in the Masked Man’s blood had been taken away a long time
ago, so it made sense that the portal wasn’t opening for him. However, if his
son was able to do the trick, not only would it grant them entrance to the
Otherworld, it would also prove the Masked Man’s plan would work. He
glanced down at his son, trying to conceal the eagerness in his eyes.
“Be my guest,” he said, and handed his son the panpipe.
Emmerich licked his lips, held the instrument to his mouth, and blew the
eight notes he remembered Conner playing at the castle. Almost
instantaneously, a bright light appeared out of thin air among the trees. The
light grew bigger and bigger, and it started to spin, sucking all the leaves on
the forest floor inside it like a wormhole.
Emmerich smiled. He had activated the portal all by himself! This
confirmed Bree’s theory that there was magic in his blood. More than ever,
Emmerich couldn’t wait to get home so he could tell her.
Unbeknownst to him, the Masked Man had other plans for the boy. He
stared at the portal as it grew, mesmerized by its spinning light. He placed his
hand on the back of Emmerich’s neck and pushed his son toward it.
“Good boy,” he said softly. “Very good boy…”

Bree and the Sisters Grimm had spent the entire week in Germany
searching for clues to Emmerich’s disappearance. Just as they expected,
nothing in the Bavarian countryside revealed where the boy was or who had
taken him. There was only one place that might give them more insight, and
unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy location to get to.
After days of trading voice mail, Cornelia finally got through to the
groundskeeper of Neuschwanstein Castle. She told the man she and her
family were private investigators from the United States and needed access to
the castle. The groundskeeper wouldn’t hear a word of it until Cornelia
mentioned it was regarding Emmerich Himmelsbach. By now all of Bavaria
had heard of the missing boy, and the groundskeeper was inclined to help her.
Late one night, once all the tour guides and tourists had left and the
janitors had finished their shifts, the groundskeeper snuck Cornelia, Wanda,
Frenda, and Bree inside the castle.
“You have one hour,” the groundskeeper said. “I can’t give you any more
time than that or I might lose my job.”
“We really appreciate this,” Cornelia said.
“Would you mind showing us around to the lower levels of the castle?”
Wanda asked.
The groundskeeper escorted Wanda and Frenda to the stories below,
giving Cornelia and Bree a chance to thoroughly inspect the Singers’ Hall
without supervision. Bree looked around at all the instruments, the pillars, the
chandeliers, and the mural of the enchanted forest: She couldn’t believe it had
been more than a year since she and the boys were there.
“That’s where the portal is,” Bree said, and nodded to the mural.
Cornelia removed a cross-dimensional emission-tracking device from her
purse and waved it around the painting. The device beeped with gusto.
“If I didn’t know that before, I would now,” Cornelia said. “The detection
rates are off the charts. This portal was activated recently—very recently.”
“I knew it. Emmerich isn’t in this world,” Bree said. “Whoever kidnapped
him took him back to the fairy-tale world.”
Bree sat on the floor and sighed. Cornelia kneeled next to her and put the
tracking device aside.
“Sadly, I think we’ve done all we can do,” she said. “We should think
about heading back to the States tomorrow morning.”
Bree would have stayed in Germany for months if she could. She felt like
she was abandoning Emmerich by leaving, but Cornelia was right. There was
no point in staying if there was nothing they could do.
“Have you contacted the Bailey twins and told them about Emmerich
yet?” Cornelia asked.
“I tried calling Conner as soon as I found out Emmerich was taken,” Bree
said. “At the time, his mom didn’t even know where he and his sister were. I
bet they’re still somewhere in the fairy-tale world.”
 “Then perhaps Conner will find Emmerich,” Cornelia said. “The three of
you were brought together by chance—we need to have faith it’ll happen
again.”
Bree nodded. “Let’s go,” she said. “I don’t want to waste any more of
anyone’s time.”
Just as she got to her feet, the tracking device began a beeping frenzy:
Something otherworldly was headed their way. A bright light appeared in
front of the mural and became brighter and brighter. It grew bigger and
bigger, swirling like a vortex.
“My word!” Cornelia gasped. “What’s happening?”
“It’s the portal!” Bree said. “Someone must have activated it from the
fairy-tale world!”
Instead of pulling them in like it had before, the portal blew powerful
gusts of air into the room, knocking all the furniture and instruments to the
floor. Bree and Cornelia held on to each other so they weren’t knocked off
their feet. Leaves from the fairy-tale world blew inside the hall, and Bree
could make out the silhouettes of two people stepping through the portal. It
was so bright she couldn’t tell who they were.
Finally, the portal closed and the swirling vortex disappeared.
“Bree?” said a familiar voice with a German accent.
As soon as her eyes adjusted, Bree saw Emmerich running toward her.
She couldn’t believe it—all her prayers had been answered! She embraced
her friend and twirled him around in a circle.
“Emmerich!” Bree cried thankfully. “We’ve been looking all over for
you!”
“I was kidnapped by witches!” Emmerich said. “They held me prisoner at
their camp in the woods until this man rescued me!”
Emmerich gestured to the Masked Man behind him. Even though Bree
was overjoyed to see her friend, there was something very peculiar about the
man with Emmerich. He seemed familiar, but Bree couldn’t think of who he
reminded her of.
“Thank you for saving my friend,” Bree said. “Who are you?”
“He’s Alex and Conner’s uncle Lloyd!” Emmerich exclaimed. “They sent
him to find me and bring me home!”
“You know my niece and nephew, too?” the Masked Man asked. “Well,
it’s certainly a small world.”
 From the sarcastic tone in his voice, he was anything but thrilled by the
connection.
“We go to the same school,” Bree said. “I didn’t even know they had an
uncle.”
“We aren’t close,” the Masked Man said.
Emmerich was so happy to be back home in Germany, he hugged
Cornelia before being introduced.
“I’m Emmerich,” he said. “Who are you?”
“My name is Cornelia Grimm,” she said. “It’s so wonderful to see you’re
alive and well!”
“Cornelia is my cousin,” Bree said. “When I heard you were missing, she
brought me here in her very own plane and helped me look for you. She’s
part of a secret group of women called the Sisters Grimm—they’re
descendants of the Brothers Grimm and they know all about the fairy-tale
world.”
Emmerich’s eyes grew wide and he jumped up and down.
“Bree, that reminds me of something I have to tell you!” he said. “I
activated the portal from the fairy-tale world all by myself! You were right—
there’s magic in our blood! That must mean that you, Cornelia, and I are all
related!”
“Actually, Emmerich,” Bree said, “we found out some information while
we were visiting with your mom. It turns out you’re not related to the
Brothers Grimm like I thought, you’re from the—”
Her train of thought was interrupted when Cornelia suddenly screamed.
Bree and Emmerich looked up and saw that the Masked Man was pointing a
revolver at them.
“What are you doing, Lloyd?” Emmerich asked.
The Masked Man ignored him. He stepped toward Cornelia and aimed the
gun at her. The old woman raised her hands in the air.
“Did the girl say you have a plane?” he asked.
“Well… yes,” Cornelia said. “I do.”
The Masked Man jerked his head and gun toward Bree next.
“And you go to school with my niece and nephew,” he said. “Do you
know where they live and how to get there?”
Bree was scared speechless. “I… I… I…” she mumbled.
“JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!” the Masked Man yelled.
 “Yes!” Bree said.
Emmerich was petrified. He regretted not trusting his instincts in the
woods. Clearly, the man wasn’t who he said he was.
“You’re not Alex and Conner’s uncle, are you?” he asked.
“Yes, I most certainly am,” the Masked Man said. “Actually, I’m a lot
more than what you realize, but we’ll have plenty of time for that later. The
four of us are going on a little trip to the twins’ house—right now!”
“But Alex and Conner aren’t there,” Bree peeped. “They’re in the fairy-
tale world!”
The Masked Man chuckled. “Stupid girl,” he said. “I never said I was
looking for the twins.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
 FAMILIAR STRANGERS

In the commissary, the Blissworm was standing on a table entertaining all

the pirates and sailors from “Starboardia.” The space worm theatrically re-
enacted the twins’ encounter with the polycrabs on Lollipopigust. It used
sound effects, large gestures, and impersonations to tell the exciting tale.
Although it never articulated any words, the Dolly Llama crew seemed to
understand everything the worm was saying. They oohed and aahed at the
descriptive story; some even covered their eyes like they were watching a
scary movie.
“You’re telling us that Alex and Conner found you in a hole the polycrabs
dug to capture prey?” Winking Wendy asked.
“Then you were all captured and taken to the polycrabs’ colony deep
underground?” Siren Sue asked.
“And after Conner rescued you from the queen polycrab’s web, he
detonated a massive bomb that vaporized the whole species?” Stinky-Feet
Phoebe asked.
The Blissworm nodded happily. They were a very attentive audience. All
the pirates and sailors were astonished by the story. The Dolly Llama crew
had never heard such an adventurous tale, and they were pirates.
The commissary was still segregated. The characters from the fairy-tale
world glared at the characters from Conner’s short stories from their table
across the room. They were also astonished, not by the events in the story,
but that the Dolly Llama crew understood what the worm was saying.
“How do they know what it’s talking about?” Jack whispered to
Goldilocks.
“They’re all from Conner’s imagination,” Goldilocks said. “They must
share some kind of language.”
Red casually slid into the seat across the table from Jack and Goldilocks.
Her eyebrows were raised and she pursed her lips tightly to keep from
smiling: She obviously had a secret she was dying to share. Red leaned over
the table so only Jack and Goldilocks could hear her.
“Have you noticed how familiar all these strangers are?” Red whispered.
Jack and Goldilocks stared at her blankly. Was she just now realizing
that?
“Can’t say I have,” Jack said. “Have you, Goldie?”
“Familiar?” Goldilocks said. “Whatever do you mean?”
Red was so eager to talk about it, she didn’t realize they were being
sarcastic. Her eyes enlarged like her theory was scandalous.
“All the characters on that side of this odd ballroom are from Conner’s
short stories, right?” Red said. “But I’m not convinced they’re entirely from
his imagination. I think many of the people in this room are based on people
he knows—people like us.”
Red swiped the table like she was laying out a winning hand of cards.
Jack and Goldilocks both sighed. Sometimes Red was so naïve, it was
impressive.
“I think you’re onto something, Red,” Jack said.
“Nothing gets by you,” Goldilocks said.
Red was so pleased with herself, she shimmied her shoulders. Captain
Auburn Sally walked by their table and Red waved her down.
“Excuse me, lady with the big hat!” Red called. “Come sit with us!”
Red patted the seat next to her. The captain looked around the room to
make sure Red wasn’t speaking to someone else, and then sat down next to
the queen, with no clue of her intentions.
“It’s rather silly for us to share such close quarters and not get to know
each other,” Red said. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Queen Red Riding
Hood. These are my subjects Jack and Goldilocks.”
Jack and Goldilocks glanced at each other. Subjects?
“It’s nice to meet you,” Auburn Sally said. “I’m Captain Auburn Sally of
the Dolly Llama.”
“Tell me everything,” Red said. “Where are you from, what do you do for
a living, what are your hobbies, et cetera, et cetera?”
“Well, like I said, I’m the captain of a ship,” Auburn Sally said. “We’re
the only all-female vessel in the Caribbean, but one of the most feared in the
sea. We spend our days sailing across the ocean, looking for buried treasure.
Occasionally we’ll meet other women like ourselves, on the run from their
pasts, and we invite them to join our crew.”
 Red was so charmed by the captain, she gently placed her hands over
Auburn Sally’s. The queen smiled like they were long-lost sisters who had
finally been reunited.
“You must be me,” Red said.
Auburn Sally was confused. She understood what Red was insinuating,
but the queen didn’t seem to notice that Goldilocks could have been the
captain’s identical twin.
“Are you sure?” the captain asked. “No offense, but I would have guessed
someone else was inspired by you.”
The captain gestured to the Cyborg Queen in the corner of the
commissary. She was sitting in throne mode as Commander Newters
tightened the wires around the gears on top of her head.
“Don’t be so humble,” Red said. “I’m certain you’re me. The similarities
are uncanny! Both of our names start with colors, we’re both very powerful
and accomplished women, and we’re both very flamboyant dressers. My
style is more privileged and pampered but the dirty-and-daring look works
well on you.”
Auburn Sally looked to Jack and Goldilocks for help.
“Just play along or it’ll never stop,” Goldilocks whispered to the captain.
“I think you’re right, Red. Auburn Sally is definitely based on you.”
“You’re practically the same person,” Jack said, and nodded over-
dramatically.
Red happily turned to the crew of the Dolly Llama. She now saw the
pirates from a completely different perspective.
“Pardon me for a moment,” she said. “I’m going to introduce myself to
our crew—oh, what fun this has turned into!”
The queen skipped to the table of pirates and sailors and introduced
herself. Auburn Sally stared at Red like the queen had just escaped from an
asylum.
“She’s not sailing with a full set of sails, is she?” the captain asked.
Across the commissary, the twins’ mother was happy to see the characters
finally warming up to one another. Charlotte took the intermingling as a sign
that she was succeeding as a glorified babysitter. Things had gotten
significantly easier now that they were in the hospital. There was plenty of
room for all the characters, no one was breaking Charlotte’s possessions, and
everyone was getting along for the most part. There was only one thing
missing to make it an enjoyable experience: Alex and Conner. Spending
several hours a day with her son’s characters made Charlotte miss Conner
more than ever. He had never shared his stories with his mom, so it was nice
for her to see them come to life piece by piece.
Charlotte heard a familiar jingle and turned toward the door of the
commissary. It swung open and her heart sank into the pit of her stomach
—they had company!
Dr. Sharon Jackson, a clinical psychologist at Saint Andrew’s Children’s
Hospital, stepped into the commissary with an elderly couple. Sharon was an
African American woman with curly black hair who wore several bracelets
around each of her wrists that jangled as she walked.
“And this is the new storybook commissary,” Dr. Jackson told the couple
as she escorted them inside.
The psychologist was floored to see that it was filled with so many strange
people. The elderly couple cleaned the lenses of their glasses to make sure
their eyes weren’t deceiving them. All the characters in the room froze and
went dead silent—they had been caught!
“Hi, Sharon,” Charlotte said. “What brings you to the new commissary?”
“Charlotte, meet Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael,” Dr. Jackson said. “They’re
two of the donors who paid for the construction of the new wing. I was just
giving them a tour of the facility. Who are all these people?”
Charlotte’s options were limited. Telling her co-worker the truth was out
of the question, and there were very few lies that could explain why so many
costumed adults were gathered there. Coming up with something that
wouldn’t get her and Bob into trouble with the hospital was nearly
impossible.
“They’re performers,” Charlotte said. “Bob and I wanted to surprise the
patients and the staff with a little entertainment.”
The characters were impressed by how convincing Charlotte’s lie was,
especially one that had been thought of on the spot. Dr. Jackson and the
Carmichaels were touched by Charlotte and Bob’s generosity.
“Oh, how wonderful!” Mrs. Carmichael said. “They remind me of the
circus! When is the performance? We’d love to see it.”
“Tomorrow night,” Charlotte fibbed again. “In the multi-purpose room, at
eight o’clock.”
“It’ll be a late night for us, but we’ll be there!” Mr. Carmichael said.
 “That is so kind of you, Charlotte,” Dr. Jackson said. “What show are they
performing? Is it something I know?”
Charlotte eyed the characters for assistance, but none of them were
helpful. They watched the twins’ mother like she was a show herself.
“They’re still figuring it out,” she said. “That’s why everyone is dressed
so differently. They’re going to rehearse all the shows in their repertoire for
me so I can select one that will be best for the children.”
“We’ll be looking forward to it!” Dr. Jackson said. “May I spread the
word, or are you still keeping it under wraps?”
Charlotte laughed. “I guess the cat is out of the bag now,” she said. “Feel
free to let everyone know.”
“Sounds terrific!” Dr. Jackson said. “The kids are going to love it! We’ll
let you get back to rehearsals.”
Dr. Jackson escorted the Carmichaels out of the commissary. Charlotte
faced the characters in a panic. Her face turned bright red, and she was
thinking only in swear words.
“Looks like we’re putting on a show,” she said. “Anyone have an idea of
what we should do?”
“William Shakyfruit has a collection of hysterical plays, but I don’t think
we can pull one of them off by tomorrow night,” Red said.
“Anyone else have a suggestion?” Charlotte asked.
Trollbella was the only character to step forward. She went to the center
of the room, looked up at the fluorescent lighting, and spread her arms out
like she was having a religious experience.
“My time has come,” she said in a trance. “Finally, life has presented me
with an opportunity to show my purpose. At last, I have an outlet to combine
all my talents for something that matters.”
“You mean, besides being a queen?” Goldilocks asked.
“Governing is just a side gig,” Trollbella said. “My true calling has
always been the performing arts. I have the perfect performance for our
predicament. It’s the greatest story ever told.”
“‘Little Red Riding Hood’?” Red asked.
“‘THE PRINCE OF THIEVES’?” Robin Hood asked.
“‘Peter Pan’?” Peter asked.
Trollbella raised a finger to silence them. “No,” she said. “‘The Life and
Times of Queen Trollbella’!”
 The troll queen flicked her hands through the air and mimed falling
confetti. The other characters slumped—each thought their story was a much
better choice.
“We need to start at once!” Trollbella said. “I’ll write, direct, and narrate
the performance myself, as nobody knows Trollbella like Trollbella. I’ll need
the pirates to build the sets and the Cyborgs to adjust the overhanging fireless
torches.”
“Those are called lights,” the Cyborg Queen said.
“Now for casting,” Trollbella said. “The Merry Men will be my goblins,
the Lost Boys will be my trolls, handsome Jack will be my Butterboy,
beautiful Red will play the title character, and fat Goldilocks will be the
creature that keeps us apart.”
“I’m pregnant,” Goldilocks said.
Trollbella winked at her. “Of course you are.”
“Can I have a bigger role?” Peter Pan asked.
“I have the perfect part for you,” Trollbella said. “No one can portray the
highs and lows of life like a boy who can fly! You will symbolize my heart
and personify the joy, the conflict, and the agony I’ve experienced in my very
short life.”
“Wicked!” Peter Pan said.
Trollbella took charge of the room like a mad conductor, and her eyes
widened with power.
“This will be the best surprise performance in the history of Saint
Andrew’s Children’s Hospital!” Trollbella declared. “The audience is going
to be so invigorated, so inspired, so dumbfounded—it’s a good thing medical
professionals will be standing by!”
The characters throughout the commissary were a little frightened by the
troll queen. None of them had given her the authority to direct the
performance, but none of them were going to take it away from her, either.
“Don’t just sit there like porcelain porcupines—let’s get to work!”
Trollbella ordered.
Right away, the characters split into the groups she had assigned.
Trollbella walked around the commissary and met with each cluster privately
to discuss her vision in greater detail.
As they deliberated over the performance, the binder of short stories
flipped open and the twins stepped out of the beam of light with Professor
Wallet, Blaze, Whipney, Morph, and Bolt. The Zibling characters looked
around the commissary in wonder. The other characters were so busy
planning the performance, they didn’t even look up at the superheroes.
“Welcome to the Otherworld,” Alex told the Ziblings.
“Wow!” Bolt said. “A whole other dimension! This is so cool!”
“There’s no science to prove this is possible, but I’ve always said there is
too much world for just one planet,” Professor Wallet said.
Conner whistled to get the room’s attention. “Hey, everybody,” he said.
“These are our friends the Ziblings—they’re superheroes and have agreed to
help us fight the Literary Army.”
“Can one of you sew?” Trollbella asked.
“I can transform into a sewing machine,” Morph said.
“That’ll do,” Trollbella said. “You’ll be in charge of costumes.”
The troll queen grabbed Morph’s hand and pulled him into her group of
set designers.
“Costumes for what?” Alex asked.
“We were caught by one of my co-workers,” Charlotte told the twins. “I
didn’t know what to say, so I told her the characters were performers. The
good news is she believed it. The bad news is we have to put together a show
for tomorrow night.”
“Oh, Butter-in-law,” Trollbella sang to Charlotte. “Is there a place we can
get materials, or can we use the tablecloths and the wood from the walls?”
“Yikes,” Alex said. “I’d better get them some supplies before Trollbella
tears this place apart.”
“I could probably travel into the next story alone if you want to stay here
and help,” Conner said.
“Are you sure you won’t need a hand?” Alex asked.
“Positive,” Conner said.
Alex didn’t want to desert her brother, but she knew he’d be fine on his
own. Charlotte was glad Alex was sitting the next one out because it
presented a wonderful opportunity—one she had been hoping for.
“Conner, I have today and tomorrow off,” Charlotte said. “Maybe I could
join you in the next one? I would love to travel into one of your stories and
see everything you’ve created.”
Having his mom tag along seemed like the worst idea in the world. It was
like she wanted to walk him to his classroom when dropping him off at
school. He forced himself to smile so he didn’t hurt her feelings.
“Oh… great,” he said through his teeth.
Charlotte could tell her son wasn’t thrilled by the idea. “Only if I won’t be
a burden,” she said sadly. “I would hate to interfere. I’m just as happy to stay
here and continue watching the characters.”
He couldn’t tell if she was intentionally making him feel guilty or not, but
the effect was strong. Obviously it was something Charlotte really wanted to
do, and Conner didn’t have the heart to tell her no.
“It’ll be totally fine,” he said. “I’d love to have you there.”
Charlotte clapped cheerfully. “What’s the next story about?” she asked.
“It’s called ‘The Adventures of Blimp Boy,’” Conner explained. “It’s
about a young archaeologist in the 1930s who travels across the world on a
giant blimp. He searches through ruins and finds precious artifacts before
they’re stolen by tomb raiders, and then donates them to museums.”
“How exciting!” Charlotte said. “Is there anything special we need to do
while we’re there?”
“We have to find a magical talisman in an ancient pyramid,” Conner said.
“Whoever possesses the talisman is granted control over a legion of
mummified soldiers. Once we bring the mummies here, we’ll finally be
finished recruiting the army we need to face the literary villains.”
“I can’t wait!” his mom said. “Let me just find my purse. Alex, if you see
Bob, tell him I briefly stepped into another dimension with your brother.”
Charlotte searched the commissary for her bag. Alex gazed at Conner
with her deepest sympathies.
“Good luck,” she said.
Conner sighed and shook his head. “What could be better than an
afternoon of mummies and Mom?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE ADVENTURES OF BLIMP BOY

Conner poured the Portal Potion on his next story, and he and his mom
stepped through the beam of light. Charlotte marveled at the world of
handwritten words waiting on the other side. She laughed and gasped as her
son’s handwriting whirled around them.
“Conner, this is incredible!” she said. “Where are all the characters?”
“Mom, we’re not in the story yet,” he said. “This is just the area that
creates the story around us—it’s like the Portal Potion’s lobby. ‘The
Adventures of Blimp Boy’ starts in India. You’ll know we’re there when you
see a jungle.”
“How fun!” Charlotte said. “I’ve never been to a jungle before.”
She watched in wonder as the words jungle trees, temple ruins, and
screeching monkeys stretched and filled the empty space around them. Word
by word, a tropical Indian wilderness was created before their eyes. There
were thousands of thick trees with large, drooping leaves and vines. It was
very warm and so humid that their clothes stuck to their bodies. Playful
monkeys growled and shrieked as they climbed through the tree branches
above. Over the treetops, Conner and Charlotte could see the spiraling towers
of an ancient temple in the distance.
“This is it,” Conner told his mom.
Charlotte dug through her purse and pulled out a bottle of lotion. She
rubbed it on her face and arms and then handed it to her son.
“What’s that?” Conner asked.
“It’s insect repellent with SPF,” Charlotte said. “I don’t want us getting
sunburned or bitten while we’re in the jungle.”
Conner could already tell this was going to be a long trip. He rubbed the
repellent on his skin and handed it back to his mom. Charlotte walked around
the jungle like she was inspecting a house for sale.
“Well, it’s nice,” she said. “There are lots of plants and interesting
animals to watch, but that heat really gets to you, doesn’t it?”
 “Don’t worry, we won’t be here very long,” Conner said. “The lead
character should be running by any minute now.”
They heard a rustling in the jungle as someone ran toward them from the
temple. A few moments later, a fourteen-year-old boy appeared. He came to a
halt when he saw Conner and Charlotte. They were the last things he had
expected to see in the jungle.
The boy wore an aviator hat with goggles and flaps over his ears, a fitted
brown leather jacket, khaki pants, and tall boots. His face was bright red and
he panted from running. He held a golden relic shaped like a human hand
tightly under his arm. The boy looked like he could have been Conner’s little
brother.
“Who are you?” he asked them.
Charlotte shook his hand excitedly. “Hi there,” she said. “I’m Conner’s
mom, Charlotte. It’s very nice to meet you!”
The boy stared at her strangely: Was he supposed to know her son?
Conner sighed and slapped his palm against his forehead.
“Mom, he doesn’t know who we are yet,” he whispered to her. “We have
to act like this is the first time we’re meeting him.”
“My apologies,” Charlotte whispered back. “I’ll let you do all the
talking.”
Conner turned toward the boy and tried to smooth things over.
“Forgive my mom,” Conner said. “She’s a little delirious. We got
separated from our tour guide and have been lost in the jungle for days! It’s
so good to see another human being. What’s your name?”
“I’m Beau Rogers,” the boy said.
A series of thunderous growls came from the jungle behind him. Beau
glanced back and gulped nervously. Although they couldn’t see what was
coming, they could hear a group of animals rushing through the trees toward
them.
“We’re all about to become lunch if we don’t get out of here,” Beau said.
“Follow me if you value your life!”
Beau sprinted into the trees and gestured for Conner and Charlotte to
come with him. Conner ran after him, but when he turned around he saw his
mom hadn’t moved. She was standing in the same spot, stretching her feet
and legs.
“Mom! We’ve got to go!” Conner yelled.
 “I know, I heard him,” she said. “But I’ll really regret it if I don’t stretch
before running. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to be my
age. Okay, now I’m ready.”
Another roar sounded through the jungle. Conner and Charlotte could see
that the commotion was coming from a pack of tigers running straight toward
them. Charlotte screamed and ran after Beau faster than Conner had ever seen
her move before. He followed but could barely keep up with her.
“I never knew you ran so fast!” Conner said.
“I ran track in college,” Charlotte said. “Those are real tigers chasing us!
What are real tigers doing in your story?”
“What were you expecting? Puppets?” Conner asked.
“I guess I was expecting everything to be more innocent, like a school
project!” she yelled. “I didn’t think I’d be running for my life!”
Conner and Charlotte caught up with Beau, but as they gained distance,
the tigers did, too. They got closer by the second, and it wasn’t long before
they were close enough to swipe at them. Whenever a tiger got too close,
Charlotte smacked it in the nose with her purse.
To add to their troubles, Beau was leading Conner and Charlotte right to
the edge of a cliff. The tigers started slowing down, assuming their prey had
nowhere to go. Beau didn’t seem discouraged at all by the cliff, though; in
fact, it made him run even faster.
“We’re almost there!” Beau said.
“Almost where?” Charlotte said. “We’re trapped between death and
death!”
“Mom, Beau knows what he’s doing!” Conner said. “When we get to the
cliff we have to jump!”
“WHAT?” Charlotte yelled.
“You have to trust me or you’ll be cat food!” Conner said.
Charlotte ignored every instinct to slow down and continued running with
the boys.
Right when they reached the cliff, a massive blimp rose above the edge
like a sunrise. The blimp was bright white like an oval cloud, and a long
silver gondola with several round windows stretched under its belly. An old
woman aboard the blimp slid its wide door open just in the nick of time, and
Beau, Conner, and Charlotte jumped over the cliff and landed inside. They
collapsed on the blimp’s floor and stayed in a dog pile until they caught their
breath.
The tigers on the ground dropped their jaws in unison. They had never
seen their lunch float away in a giant balloon before.
“Time to diet, you overgrown felines!” the old woman yelled at the tigers
below, and she slammed the door shut with gusto.
The old woman wore pearls, high heels, and a fur coat, with goggles and
an aviator hat just like Beau’s. She had a familiar raspy voice and saucy
attitude. It only took Charlotte a couple of seconds to realize the old woman
was based on Mother Goose.
“That was closer than the run-in I had with Bonnie and Clyde,” the old
woman said. “I see you picked up some friends, Beau.”
“I wasn’t expecting the temple to be filled with tigers!” Beau said. “Why
are ancient ruins always filled with giant predators? Just once I’d like to walk
into a tomb and find a flock of sheep.”
“I wasn’t talking about the cats,” the old woman said.
“Oh, obviously,” Beau said. “Aunt Emgee, this is Conner and his mother,
Charlotte. I found them in the jungle right after I left the temple. Apparently
they got separated from their tour guide and have been lost in the jungle for a
couple of days.”
Emgee eyed Conner and Charlotte over her goggles. “You look awfully
cleaned-up for being lost in the jungle,” she said.
“My mom’s really into personal hygiene,” Conner said.
“I’m a nurse,” Charlotte said with a shrug.
Emgee was pleased to hear it. “I always love meeting a fellow working
woman,” she said. “Welcome aboard the Charlie Chaplin!”
The old woman helped Beau, Conner, and Charlotte to their feet and
shook their hands.
“Did you name the blimp after the actor?” Charlotte asked.
“Actually, he named himself after the blimp,” Beau said. “He’s Emgee’s
ex-boyfriend.”
Emgee twirled her pearls and blushed. “Oh, no, he was just a fling,” she
said. “Poor kid fell madly in love with me, but I was too old for him and had
already vowed not to date any more actors. Speaking of ancient history, did
you get the relic, Beau?”
Her grand-nephew held up the golden hand. “Presenting the fourth and
final Golden Hand of Shiva!” he said happily.
 “Way to go, kiddo!” Emgee said. “You’ve collected them all! The Delhi
Museum will be ecstatic!”
Beau placed the golden hand on a shelf with three identical relics. Conner
and Charlotte looked around the blimp with wide eyes. There were shelves
and cases filled with artifacts, statues, tools, coins, and jewelry from ancient
ruins around the world. All the walls in the Charlie Chaplin were covered in
maps of various places with pins indicating where Beau and Emgee had
traveled.
Conner knew where each and every artifact came from and the different
adventures Beau had had collecting them. The only one he didn’t recognize
was a small doll made of rope. Beau slapped his hand as he reached for it.
“Don’t touch that—it’s cursed,” Beau warned him.
Conner nodded. He remembered it now. Charlotte looked around the
blimp at all of Beau and Emgee’s belongings. She couldn’t believe her son
had created a world with such unique details and original characters.
“You’ve collected all of these?” Charlotte asked.
“Not us—it’s all him,” Emgee said, and patted her grand-nephew on the
back. “Beau is the youngest archaeologist in the world. He earned his
doctorate when he was just twelve years old!”
“It was actually my second,” Beau clarified. “I got my first doctorate in
political science when I was ten, but that was before I realized archaeology
was my passion.”
“That’s extraordinary,” Charlotte said. “I’m sure your parents are very
proud!”
Beau lowered his head sadly. “Actually, my parents died when I was
five,” he said. “My mom was a flapper and my dad was a musician. They
were performing at an underground nightclub when the building above it
collapsed from all the barrels of gin the owner was hiding in the attic.”
“Prohibition.” Emgee groaned. “It took away so much joy from so many
people. I’ve been caring for the little rascal ever since. I’ve supported him
through every step of his archaeology ambitions. A lot of my friends thought
I was crazy when I sold my brownstone and bought a blimp to travel the
world, but if you ask me, it was a great investment. Everyone’s crazy about
planes these days, but I think blimps will be the transportation of the future.”
“We’ve had some good times aboard the Charlie Chaplin,” Beau said.
“We’ve gone on so many adventures, seen so many astonishing places, and
met so many interesting people. Speaking of which, where are you guys
headed? Is there a place we could drop you off at?”
With just a look, Conner reminded his mom to let him do all the talking.
“The rest of our group headed to Egypt,” he said. “You wouldn’t by
chance be headed in that direction, would you?”
Emgee was so tickled by the coincidence, she slapped her knee.
“You’re in luck!” Emgee said. “We’re headed to the Ancient Pyramid of
Anesthesia right now! Beau’s got his heart set on a mythical talisman.”
Charlotte was confused. “Anesthesia?” she whispered to her son.
“I heard you and Bob talking about it once and thought it sounded like an
ancient pyramid,” Conner whispered back. “Tell us more about this talisman.
It sounds super-neat!”
Beau was more than excited to talk about it. He retrieved a rolled-up map
from a stack in the corner and spread it over the table in the center of the
gondola. The map was of southeast Egypt and showed a giant pyramid
located near the Nile a few miles south of Cairo. Beau yanked an illustration
of a talisman off the wall and placed it on top of the map. The talisman was a
gold medal with several Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into it.
“The Lost Talisman of Pharaoh Eczema,” Beau said theatrically.
“According to legend, the pharaoh was so beloved by his people, they
presented him with a golden talisman. Unfortunately, the token of
appreciation made the gods jealous. When the pharaoh grew old and became
ill, he was afraid the gods would punish him unfairly in the Underworld. So
at the time of Eczema’s death, one thousand of his most devoted soldiers
were killed, mummified, and buried with him in the pyramid so he wouldn’t
enter the Underworld alone. The gods were furious and denied the soldiers
entrance to the Underworld, forcing them to roam the pyramid as the undead.
Since they can’t protect the pharaoh in the Underworld, the soldiers
devotedly protect his remains in the pyramid.”
“Wow,” Charlotte said, and glanced at Conner. “That’s unsettling.”
“But wait, there’s more!” Beau said. “The legend also states that Pharaoh
Eczema’s soul bestowed mythical powers on the talisman. Whoever wears it
has complete control over the mummified soldiers in his pyramid. The
pharaoh was buried with the talisman in a golden chamber deep in the
Pyramid of Anesthesia. The chamber is surrounded by a maze, and the
pharaoh’s casket is patrolled by his most treasured and loyal guardian.”
 “Conner, that sounds just like the talisman you wanted to collect,”
Charlotte said. “Is it the same or is there more than one?”
The horrified gaze Conner sent his mother was the exact expression Beau
sent him. Once again, Conner slapped his palm against his forehead, and
Charlotte knew she had made a mistake by sharing their plan.
“You’re after the talisman, too?” Beau asked.
“Um… kind of,” Conner said. “I happen to dabble in archaeology as well.
My mom and I are planning to find the talisman and donate it to… um… the
Not-So-Natural History Museum in Cairo.”
“Well, you can forget about it!” Beau yelled. “The talisman is mine! It’s
one of the reasons I went into archaeology! Emgee, open the door—let’s kick
these tomb raiders off the Charlie Chaplin! I should never have saved you in
the jungle!”
“Easy, Beau,” Emgee said. “Technically the talisman doesn’t belong to
either of you. It belongs to Pharaoh Itchy, or whatever his name is. Seems
only fair to get you both to the pyramid and let you duke it out the old-
fashioned way.”
Beau nodded. “You’re right, Aunt Emgee,” he said. “We’ll fight to the
death!”
Emgee sighed. “No, Beau,” she said. “I meant you’ll have to race for it.”
“That seems reasonable,” Charlotte said. “We can even set a starting mark
so it’s completely fair.”
Conner quickly pulled his mother aside. “Mom, stop agreeing! You know
I need the talisman to recruit the mummies into our army!”
“If my son is going to become a warlord, he’s going to come by it
honestly! Besides, I am not letting you go inside that pyramid alone now that
I know it’s filled with zombie mummies!” Charlotte snapped. “How much
longer until we reach the Pyramid of Anesthesia?”
“It’ll take all night, but we’ll get there by morning,” Emgee said.
“Then it’s settled,” Charlotte said. “Tomorrow you can both go into the
pyramid together, and whoever finds the talisman first can keep it.”
Neither of the boys was happy about having to race for the talisman.
Conner never pictured a scenario where the hero of his story would turn into
his competition. He had created the Pyramid of Anesthesia, so hopefully it
wouldn’t be too hard to navigate it, but he had also written Beau to be the
best archaeologist in the world. It wasn’t going to be an easy race.
 Emgee shifted the gears of the Charlie Chaplin, and the blimp sailed into
the western sky.
“Anesthesia or bust!” the old woman said.

After a long evening of reminiscing, Emgee convinced Charlotte and

Conner she had single-handedly put the roaring in the Roaring Twenties.
While she sipped from a jug of homemade potato gin, she told them all about
her five failed marriages, her many connections to organized crime, and her
early days of performing on a burlesque circuit.
Even though Beau had found a reason to resent their guests, Emgee loved
having an audience besides her grand-nephew.
Beau spent the whole evening looking over his map of the pyramid and
the illustration of the talisman. He only glanced up to glare spitefully at his
new opponent. Conner became so tired of the hateful looks, he moved his
seat so his back faced the archaeologist.
At night, Emgee pulled out some guest cots and set them up for Charlotte
and Conner to sleep on. She tied down the gears of the Charlie Chaplin so it
would continue floating west while they slept, and then she and Beau retired
to their rooms in the back of the gondola.
Spending the night on a blimp was anything but restful. The sudden bursts
of elevation and unexpected turbulence made it very difficult for Conner and
his mom to stay asleep. However, Charlotte was kept awake by much more
than the bumpy ride. Something had been eating at her since she learned
about Beau’s parents, something she was desperate to get out.
“Conner, are you awake?” she asked.
“I haven’t been able to sleep since that sudden dip over Persia,” he said.
“Well, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you, honey,” Charlotte
said. “I’m really amazed by everything you’ve created, not just in ‘The
Adventures of Blimp Boy’ but in all of your stories. Why have you never
shared them with me before now?”
“I guess I just never wanted to bother you,” he said. “I first started writing
shortly after Dad died. You were always so busy with work and taking care
of us, I never wanted to put one more thing on your plate.”
 Unknowingly, Conner had just answered a difficult question she had been
meaning to ask him.
“I suppose that’s why there aren’t any mothers in your stories,” Charlotte
said. “Your writing represents so many facets of your life, and I spent so
much time away from you, I can’t expect any representation of me in your
writing. You know, I think one of the reasons I’m so afraid you and your
sister are missing out on your lives is because I’ve missed out on so much of
your lives. I’m sorry there have been so many times you felt like you didn’t
have a mom. It’s never the kind of mom I wanted to be—life just had other
plans.”
This was as heartbreaking for him to hear as it was for Charlotte to
confess. “The Ziblings” was the first story that made Conner realize just how
meaningful each character in his writing could be; he never thought the lack
of a character could be so symbolic, too. But even though there were no
mothers in his stories, it didn’t mean Charlotte was missing from them. She
didn’t see the stories like Conner did.
“Mom, you’ve got it all wrong,” Conner said. “You’re in my stories a
bunch, you just don’t realize it. Auburn Sally is based on more people than
just Goldilocks. There’s a reason I made her hair the same color as yours.
After Dad died, you sailed through all the hard times so bravely; it reminded
me of a pirate sailing through a storm. You were the real inspiration behind
‘Starboardia.’ Jack and Goldilocks just helped me add some layers to it.”
“Really?” Charlotte asked. “You’re not just saying that?”
“You’d know if I was lying to you—you always do,” Conner said. “That’s
not all, though! Every day when you went to work and took back-to-back
shifts just so we could get by, I always thought you must have had
superpowers to get through it. That’s why I made Bolt’s superhero suit the
same color as your nursing scrubs. You might have been gone a lot, but you
were still a superhero to me and Alex.”
Charlotte was moved to tears. She leaned over Conner’s cot and kissed
him on the cheek.
“I love you so much, sweetheart,” she said. “And from now on, I want to
be the very first person you share your stories with.”
“The next one’ll go straight off the presses and into your hands,” he said.
“I promise.”
Charlotte’s heart gave a sigh of relief. Knowing she wasn’t missing from
her son’s imagination felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. And
Conner rarely got to reassure his mom about anything, so he was happy he
could put her mind at ease. They both finally drifted off to sleep as the blimp
drifted over Arabia.

The following morning, Conner and Charlotte awoke as the sun rose and
shined through the Charlie Chaplin’s round windows. It felt even hotter than
it had in the jungle in India. When Conner looked out the window, he saw
they were floating above an endless sandy desert. He could barely see the tip
of a triangle peeking out on the horizon.
“The Pyramid of Anesthesia!” Conner shouted. “We’re almost there!”
His excited declarations woke up Emgee and Beau. They hurried out of
their rooms dressed in pajamas and joined Conner at the window. Emgee
couldn’t see until she strapped on her goggles and used them like prescription
glasses.
“That’s the pyramid, all right!” she said. “Personally, I would have built
my own pyramid closer to a beach, but to each their own.”
Less than an hour later, Emgee was piloting the Charlie Chaplin toward
the sandy earth beside the pyramid. The landing alone was enough evidence
for why blimps never became the transportation of the future as Emgee had
predicted. The bottom of the gondola bumped across the sand over a dozen
times before the blimp came to a stop. Each contact made the whole gondola
rattle, and things toppled overboard.
Once they landed, the boys got ready for the race to the talisman. Beau
fastened the straps of his aviator hat, laced his boots, and zipped up his
leather jacket. Conner tied his sneakers, applied sunblock, and put his
backpack over his shoulders. Conner tried offering Beau a friendly handshake
before they started, but Beau wouldn’t even look at him.
Outside the blimp, Emgee drew a line in the sand and made Conner and
Beau stand behind it. The old woman raised a revolver in the air, careful not
to aim it at the Charlie Chaplin.
“I want a good, clean race,” Emgee said. “No cheating, no sabotage, and
no swearing! May the best archaeologist win!”
 “Good luck, honey!” Charlotte said. “Please watch where you’re going—
pyramids are dark and dusty.”
Emgee fired the revolver and Beau and Conner charged toward the
Pyramid of Anesthesia. The thick sand was almost impossible to run in. But
even wearing tall boots and a leather jacket in the desert heat, Beau was much
faster than Conner. Once Beau was in front of Conner, he purposely kicked
the sand backward, aiming for Conner’s eyes.
“Hey!” Conner said. “That’s cheating!”
“Eat my dust!” Beau said.
The boys reached the base of the Pyramid of Anesthesia. Beau
immediately ran up the north side like the pyramid was a wide stone
staircase. Conner knew the entrance was on the south side of the pyramid, so
he ran around it. Beau noticed Conner going in a different direction, so he
followed him from higher ground. They arrived at the entrance on the south
side of the pyramid at the same time.
“How did you know where the entrance was?” Beau asked him.
“Because I made it,” Conner said truthfully in a sarcastic tone, so Beau
was none the wiser.
The young archaeologist kicked the entrance open and a gust of sandy air
almost knocked the boys down the pyramid. The entrance led to a long, dark,
and dusty hall. The walls were hung with a row of unlit torches and were
engraved with hieroglyphics from floor to ceiling. Cobwebs draped across the
hall like torn curtains. Clearly there hadn’t been another person in the
pyramid for thousands of years.
Beau took a torch off the wall and pulled a matchbox out of his pocket.
He struck a match using the zipper of his jacket and lit the torch. Conner
removed the flashlight from his backpack and hit it against the wall until the
batteries worked. The boys ran down the hall, venturing farther into the
pyramid.
The hall was just the beginning of a multi-dimensional maze that
zigzagged through the pyramid. As soon as the maze split into different
directions, Beau purposefully chose the path opposite from Conner, hoping it
would get him to the pharaoh’s chamber faster. Conner just rolled his eyes
and took the route he knew would get him there quickly.
After a mile of winding narrow passages, steep staircases, and sharp turns,
Conner stepped into an enormous room at the very bottom of the pyramid.
The walls were covered with layers and layers of tombs like novels stacked
on a giant’s bookshelf. The crypts contained the mummified corpses of the
pharaoh’s soldiers. The room marked the halfway point of the pyramid’s
maze, which continued on the other side.
Beau entered the room several moments after Conner. He was red-faced
and winded. Obviously the archaeologist was having a rougher time
navigating the maze than Conner was. Beau looked around in astonishment.
He had never seen so many tombs in one place.
“What is this?” Beau asked.
“This is the pharaoh’s army,” Conner said.
Beau saw where the maze continued on the other side and dashed toward
it, hoping to get a head start on Conner.
“No, Beau! Wait!” Conner yelled after him.
“Nice try, but I’m not falling for—”
Beau suddenly tripped on a rope that was so thin he couldn’t see it. The
rope snapped, and two enormous metal gongs fell from the ceiling and
crashed to the floor on either side of him. The noise was deafening and the
boys covered their ears before it damaged their eardrums.
“That’s loud enough to wake the dead!” Beau said.
“That’s the whole point!” Conner said.
All the crypts began shaking at once. One by one, the lids were pushed off
and the pharaoh’s mummified soldiers slowly crawled out of their tombs.
They moaned and groaned in agony and crept toward Conner and Beau.
“Mummies!” Beau yelled. “So the legend is true! It’s all true!”
Beau and Conner continued into the second half of the maze and the
mummies chased after them. Once again, Beau took an alternative route from
Conner on purpose.
Conner knew the second part of the maze even better than he knew the
first. He had no hesitation whatsoever as he snaked through hall after hall,
climbing higher and higher into the pyramid. Each level he reached became
smaller and smaller the closer he got to the top of the pyramid. Soon he came
to a pair of golden double doors with the hieroglyph of a phoenix carved into
them.
“I did it!” Conner said proudly. “I made it to the pharaoh’s chamber!”
His victory was cut short by a blood-chilling scream coming from the
maze behind him. It was followed by a clamor of monstrous wails and
growls. It sounded like the mummies had caught up with Beau.
“Help!” Beau screamed. “Help me!”
Conner was conflicted about what to do next. He was only a few short
steps away from retrieving the talisman, the only thing he needed to complete
his army and save his friends in the fairy-tale world. For a split second,
Conner thought Beau deserved to be attacked by mummies for the way he
had acted. However, Conner knew his mom would be upset if only one of
them came back alive. So to avoid a potential guilt trip (and because it was
the right thing to do), Conner turned around and went to save the
archaeologist.
“Stupid conscience,” Conner mumbled to himself. “It never knows when
to quit.”
He followed the screams through the maze as he carefully took note of the
route to get back to the pharaoh’s chamber. Conner found Beau in a corner of
the maze surrounded by eight mummies. He was on the floor, and the
mummies were viciously hitting and kicking him.
“Hey!” Conner said. “Toilet-paper heads! Over here!”
The mummies turned to Conner and crept toward him. He shined his
flashlight directly in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. The mummies
scattered like roaches, and Conner helped Beau to his feet.
“You saved my life!” Beau said in shock.
“I gave you life,” Conner said under his breath.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come back for me, especially after how I
treated you,” Beau said. “Thank you!”
“You can thank me later,” Conner said. “I found the pharaoh’s chambers.
Follow me! There are a lot more mummies where these guys came from!”
Conner quickly retraced his steps through the maze to the highest point in
the pyramid where the pharaoh’s chamber was located. Beau was amazed by
how effortlessly he was moving through the pyramid. Finally, the boys
arrived at the golden doors with the phoenix, and Conner grabbed the handles
to push them open.
“Wait,” Beau said. “Remember, the pharaoh’s chamber is patrolled by his
most treasured and loyal guardian. It might take both of us to defeat it.”
Conner let out a light laugh. “Yeah…” he said. “I wouldn’t worry about
that if I were you.”
He pushed open the doors and the boys stepped into Pharaoh Eczema’s
chamber. Unlike the rest of the pyramid, the chamber was spotless. The walls
were made of pure gold and the pharaoh’s colorful casket rested on a
platform in the center of the room. They knew they were at the top of the
pyramid because the high ceiling rose to a peak above them. There was a
small opening in the ceiling that allowed a ray of sunlight to shine directly on
the casket.
Beau eyed the chamber nervously: Something was missing. “Where’s the
pharaoh’s most treasured and loyal guardian?” he asked.
The boys heard high-pitched barking. Peeking around the casket on the
floor was a small mummified dog. Although it barked at Conner and Beau, it
was clearly more frightened of them than they were of it.
“It’s a dog?” Beau asked.
“I don’t know anything more treasured and loyal than someone’s dog,”
Conner said.
Conner held out his hand, and the dog slowly approached it and sniffed
around it. There was something familiar about Conner, and the mummified
dog became excited when he sensed it. He happily ran around Conner’s feet
and rolled on his back, allowing him to rub the wraps covering his belly.
“Good boy, Bones,” Conner called. “Who’s a nice three-thousand-year-
old pup, huh?”
“You know the dog’s name?” Beau asked him suspiciously.
“Um… yeah,” Conner said. “I must have read it somewhere.”
They heard stomping echo through the maze outside the chamber. Conner
and Beau turned and saw hundreds and hundreds of mummies creeping
toward them.
“We’ve got to get to the talisman!” Conner said. “Those mummies are
about to take out millenniums’ worth of pent-up aggression on us!”
The boys hustled to the casket and tried sliding the lid off. It was
incredibly heavy and they had to use all their strength. Just as the mummies
entered the chamber, Conner and Beau knocked the lid over and saw the
golden talisman around the neck of the mummified pharaoh. It grossed him
out to touch a dead body, but Conner pulled the talisman off the corpse and
put it over his own neck.
“Knock it off!” Conner yelled at the approaching mummies.
Now that Conner had complete control over them, all the mummified
soldiers froze and attentively put their hands at their sides. Beau looked at the
talisman around Conner’s neck and became very depressed. The young
archaeologist had spent most of his life dreaming about the day he’d find it,
only to see it in someone else’s possession. He looked so pathetic, Conner
couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
“Look, I only need the talisman for a little while,” he said. “I’m going to
use the mummies to help out some friends. When I’m done, you can have it.”
Beau was overjoyed to hear this. “Really?” he asked.
“Totally,” Conner said. “Besides, it won’t be worth much where I’m
from.”
The archaeologist squinted at Conner. He had been trying to figure out
how Conner knew so much about the pyramid and had finally come to the
only probable conclusion he could think of.
“You’re Pharaoh Eczema reincarnated, aren’t you?” Beau asked. “That’s
how you knew where the entrance was, how you moved so quickly through
the maze, and how you knew the name of his dog.”
“It’s way more complicated than that,” Conner said. “I’m not sure you’d
even believe me.”
“Try me,” Beau said. “I’m an archaeologist—I live for complication.”
Conner sighed. After their race through the pyramid, he was too tired to
come up with any more lies.
“Okay, fine,” Conner said with a shrug. “But before I explain, let me ask
you this: How familiar are you with classic fairy tales?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“THE LIFE AND TIMES OF QUEEN
TROLLBELLA”
Written and Directed by Trollbella

Dr. Sharon Jackson had been the resident clinical psychologist at Saint
Andrew’s Children’s Hospital for over two decades, and today she was
facing the most difficult patients of her career. Four stubborn teenage girls sat
across from her with their arms folded. They each wore the same hospital
gown and the same defiant expression. Unbeknownst to the girls, their
worried parents were watching them through the mirror on the wall.
“Hello, ladies,” Dr. Jackson said. “My name is Dr. Sharon Jackson and
I’m a psychologist here at Saint Andrew’s. I’ve been asked to have a word
with you. How are you all feeling today?”
“Don’t answer any of her questions,” Mindy told her fellow Book
Huggers. “The less we say, the less they can use against us.”
“I promise you, we are only trying to take care of you,” Dr. Jackson said.
“Do you remember why you were brought to the hospital?”
Cindy tilted her head in suspicion. “Were we brought to the hospital or
were we sent to the hospital?” she asked.
“Well, you were brought to the hospital by an ambulance,” Dr. Jackson
said. “And it was sent here because all four of you were found unconscious
on a sidewalk. Does that answer your question?”
The Book Huggers shared a look—their newest suspicion had been all but
confirmed.
“Do you work for them?” Lindy asked.
“For who?” Dr. Jackson asked.
“The people who don’t want us knowing what we know,” Mindy said.
“What do you know?” Dr. Jackson asked. “And who doesn’t want you
knowing it?”
The Book Huggers could tell that the psychologist was genuinely
confused. Perhaps she wasn’t as informed as they thought.
“Maybe it’s best if we don’t tell you,” Lindy said. “They might lock you
up next!”
“We’ve been here for three days—but they can’t keep us in here forever!”
Cindy said.
“We know our rights!” Mindy said.
Wendy leaped out of her seat and went to the door. She yanked on the
handle with all her might, but the door didn’t budge.
“Ms. Takahashi, if you’d like to leave, just push the door open,” Dr.
Jackson said. “No one is keeping you here against your will.”
Wendy turned the door handle and pushed it open easily. She blushed and
took her seat.
“Prisoners or not, we know that someone very high up doesn’t want us
spreading the facts,” Cindy said. “That’s the real reason we’re here!”
“I’m glad you brought that up,” Dr. Jackson said. “I think it would do us
all some good if we go over the facts together and take a break from
suspicions.”
Dr. Jackson went down a list on her notepad, hoping it would comfort the
girls if she put things into perspective.
“You were found unconscious—that’s a fact,” the psychologist listed.
“Just like any young person found in your condition, you were brought to this
hospital to be examined—that’s also a fact. When you regained
consciousness, you told the doctors that you had seen ‘pirates appear out of
thin air,’ and that you had overheard a discussion about ‘recruiting armies of
fictional characters’ and a ‘threatened fairy-tale world.’”
“Yeah,” Mindy said. “Because we did!”
“Why do you think we fainted in the first place?” Cindy asked.
“That aside, usually when patients awake from a trauma and describe such
eccentric events, I’m asked to have a word with them to make sure there isn’t
any psychological damage,” Dr. Jackson explained. “This is all standard
procedure, and I assure you that no one high up has any control over you.”
The Book Huggers slumped in their chairs. Given the circumstances,
perhaps the psychologist had been brought in for legitimate reasons. Maybe it
wasn’t part of a big conspiracy against them like they thought.
“We’re just so tired of being told we’re wrong when we know we’re
right,” Mindy said.
 “It’s very unlikely four different people would have the exact same
hallucination at once,” Cindy said.
“But no one will listen to us,” Lindy said. “Every time we try to tell
someone what we’ve uncovered, they either hang up, point to the door, or
threaten restraining orders.”
The Book Huggers were getting worked up. Dr. Jackson raised her hands
to calm them down.
“Ladies, it’s my job to listen,” Dr. Jackson said. “Tell me what you saw,
what you heard, and what you’re worried about. I’ll be honest about what I
believe is real or exaggerated, but I’ll also be open-minded.”
The Book Huggers eyed one another apprehensively. Dr. Jackson was the
first person to have shown interest willingly. She took vigorous notes as the
teenagers explained the cause of their paranoia.
“It started in junior high,” Mindy said. “Alex and Conner Bailey
disappeared without a trace, and no one could give us a good reason why. We
wanted to know the truth, but the more answers we looked for, the more
questions we found.”
“It seemed like there was something our school, our city, and possibly the
government were keeping from us,” Cindy said. “Finally, after a year of
searching, we saw the twins in a restaurant called the Storybook Grill four
days ago!”
“We heard them talking about ‘recruiting armies of fictional characters’ to
save a ‘fairy-tale world,’” Lindy said. “It confirmed all our suspicions that
something much deeper was going on! That’s when we snuck to their house,
peered through the window, and saw the pirates and their ship appear out of
thin air!”
To their surprise, Dr. Jackson was relieved to hear this. She set her notes
aside and a big smile came to her face. She even gave a thumbs-up to the
mirror, which the Book Huggers thought was very odd.
“Ladies, I have good news for you,” the psychologist said. “I believe
every word you just said.”
The Book Huggers were shocked. They had never heard those words
come out of someone’s mouth before. For a second, they thought Dr. Jackson
—not the pirates at the twins’ house—might be a hallucination.
“You believe us?” Cindy asked.
“Absolutely,” Dr. Jackson said. “You aren’t experiencing delusions or
hallucinations—you’re suffering from a simple misunderstanding. You see,
the twins’ mother and stepfather work at this hospital. As a surprise, they
hired a group of entertainers to perform for the patients in a show. The pirates
you saw at their house are just performers and the ship was probably a set
piece.”
“A set piece?” Lindy asked. “But it appeared out of thin air!”
“Haven’t you ever seen a magician or a Broadway show?” Dr. Jackson
said. “That’s what good set pieces do—it’s all part of an illusion.”
The Book Huggers shook their heads and covered their ears. They didn’t
want to believe what the psychologist was telling them—it was all too
simple!
“No!” Mindy said. “That can’t be it! There has to be more to the story
than that!”
“I understand your confusion,” Dr. Jackson said. “I met the performers
yesterday. Their costumes were so colorful and elaborate, had Mrs. Gordon
not explained to me who they were, I might have been just as puzzled as
you.”
“But that doesn’t explain the conversation we heard over dinner!” Cindy
said. “Why would they say things like ‘recruiting armies’ to save ‘a
threatened fairy-tale world’? Those aren’t words normal people use to
describe a show!”
“I imagine they were using code words to keep the performance a secret,”
Dr. Jackson proposed. “I’m sure it took them a very long time to put it
together, and they were being extra-cautious. This is a small town—people
talk, and clearly people listen.”
The Book Huggers had put so much time and effort into tracking down
and exposing the Baileys—it couldn’t have all been for a performance! They
were intelligent girls; they should have spotted a misunderstanding from a
mile away.
The teenagers rocked in their seats, trying to think of where they went
wrong. Dr. Jackson glanced up at the clock.
“Actually, the performance is tonight,” she said. “But if it’s that unsettling
to you, I would recommend sitting it out. Now that we know you aren’t
suffering any psychological damage, I recommend you all go home and get a
good night’s rest. Doctor’s orders.”
Once the psychologist prescribed the troubled Book Huggers some sleep,
she escorted the girls back to their parents and headed to the hospital’s multi-
purpose room.

Thanks to the characters’ hard work, Trollbella’s thorough direction, and

a little touch of Alex’s magic, they had put together a performance for Saint
Andrew’s Children’s Hospital in just under a day. The quality of it was
questionable, but it was a performance nonetheless. The tedious and frantic
task had created a much-needed union among the characters and taught them
to work together—which was necessary if they planned on joining forces to
defeat the Literary Army.
The pirates of the Dolly Llama and the Tin Woodman constructed a large
stage with red velvet curtains at the far end of the multi-purpose room. The
sailors set up the chairs and made sure every patient, their families, and all
the hospital employees had a seat.
Cyborg soldiers were hung from the ceiling and their illuminated body
parts were pointed toward the stage like lights. The Cyborg Queen herself
converted into a large spotlight and was operated by Commander Newters.
Instead of using the hospital’s electricity, all the Cyborgs were hooked up to
Bolt, who functioned like a human generator.
The other Ziblings were working behind the scenes. After Morph had
assisted with costumes by turning into a sewing machine, the shape-shifter
transformed into the set. Since Whipney had the most dexterity, she was put
in charge of props. Blaze was assigned special effects, but it was the easiest
job in the entire show since there was only one, at the very end.
Trollbella insisted the performance have programs so the audience would
have something tangible to take away. Bob helped her design the exact flyer
she had in mind, and one was laid on every seat. The programs read:

DR. BOB & NURSE CHARLOTTE PROUDLY PRESENT

A Trollbella Production
 The Life and Times of Queen Trollbella
Written and Directed by

Trollbella
Starring

Trollbella
& FRIENDS

At around fifteen minutes to eight o’clock, the multi-purpose room began

filling up with an eager audience. Doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff
escorted the patients and their families to their seats. Some children were
rolled in on wheelchairs or transported in their hospital beds. Although the
children weren’t feeling their best, they looked around the room keenly,
curious about what was waiting for them on the other side of the curtain.
Alex and Bob were sitting together in the front row. Alex couldn’t sit still
and nervously shook her legs and bit her nails.
“Are you worried about the show?” Bob asked.
“Not the show,” she said. “I’m worried about Conner and Mom. I was
expecting them to be back by now.”
Bob laughed. “You look just like your mother when she’s worried about
you and your brother,” he said.
“Now that I know how it feels, I’m never going to keep her waiting
again,” Alex said. “I hope they’re all right. It’s not that I don’t trust them, or
that I think they need me, it’s just… just…”
Alex couldn’t think of the words to describe the feeling.
“You just love them, Alex,” Bob said. “It’s as simple as that.”
To Alex’s relief, just a few minutes before the performance started,
Conner and Charlotte hurried into the multi-purpose room and found her and
Bob at the front. They had come straight from “The Adventures of Blimp
Boy” and Conner hadn’t even had a chance to take off his backpack.
“Well?” Alex asked. “How did it go? Did you find the talisman?”
 Conner and Charlotte exchanged a smile. Conner pulled the talisman out
from under his shirt and showed his sister.
“Let’s just say there’s a blimp parked in the field next to the hospital and
there’s a thousand mummified soldiers and one mummified dog in the
commissary,” Conner said.
“So it’s done!” Alex said. “We’ve recruited all the soldiers we need to
take on the Literary Army!”
The twins were so thankful the recruitment was finally over. They
couldn’t have done it without the help of their mom and stepdad, so they
pulled Bob and Charlotte into a tight family hug. It may not have been the
family vacation their mom was looking for, but the twins and their parents
had accomplished something extraordinary together.
Bob noticed a foul scent lingering around Conner and Charlotte.
“What’s that smell?” he asked.
“Mummies,” Charlotte said. “I sprayed each of them with perfume and
disinfectant, but decay isn’t an easy odor to take off.”
“Should we tell the others before or after the performance?” Conner
asked.
“Let’s wait,” Alex said. “If they pull off the performance, we’ll have two
miracles to celebrate.”
“Is it any good?” Conner asked.
Alex hesitated to answer. “Let’s just say it probably won’t be your
favorite show,” she said. “Trollbella took some liberties.”
The lights dimmed and all the audience members sat in their seats. The
Cyborgs illuminated the stage, and Commander Newters aimed the Cyborg
Queen’s spotlight at the center of the curtain. Trollbella stepped through the
curtain and waved to the crowd. All the children gasped—they had never
seen such a lifelike troll before. The troll queen went to the microphone stand
and greeted the audience.
“Good evening, big room of small people,” Trollbella said. “Welcome to
tonight’s performance. As you probably know, I am Queen Trollbella of the
Troblin Kingdom. If you don’t know, please ask the person beside you to slap
you. I am known for many things in my kingdom: beauty, intelligence,
charisma, elegance, passion—but I’m best known for bringing my nation
together. Thanks to my brilliant leadership, what was once a territory of
greedy trolls and obnoxious goblins is now a kingdom of respectable and
sophisticated Troblins. Tonight you will see that transformation before your
symmetrical human eyes in ‘The Life and Times of Queen Trollbella’!”
Conner was already annoyed and it was just the introduction. The
audience sat on the edge of their seats—they were loving it. Trollbella
dragged the microphone stand to the side of the stage and snapped at
Commander Newters to keep the spotlight on her.
The curtains opened to reveal a dismal set depicting the Troll and Goblin
Territory. The Merry Men and the Lost Boys ran onstage in ridiculous
costumes. The men were dressed in green and wore goblin ears over their
own. The boys wore brown and headbands with horns. All of them looked
very uncomfortable.
“We are the goblins!” the Merry Men announced.
“We are the trolls!” the Lost Boys said.
“The kingdoms of man have forced us to live with the trolls,” the Merry
Men said.
“The kingdom of fairies has forced us to live underground with the
goblins,” the Lost Boys said.
“None of us are pleased,” they said together.
“OH THE AGONY!” Robin Hood said. “SORRY, THAT WASN’T IN
THE SCRIPT. I JUST THOUGHT THE SCENE COULD USE A LITTLE
PIZZAZZ.”
The Merry Men and the Lost Boys were terrible performers. Many of
them stood motionless with dead eyes and said their lines like robots. Others
put way too much effort into their characters and pranced around the stage.
Some of them were terrified to be in front of an audience; others enjoyed it
too much. Despite their problematic stage presence, they were entertaining to
watch. The children in the audience laughed at everything they said.
“WHY DON’T WE PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND FORM
OUR OWN NATION?” Robin Hood said.
“Robin, you’re skipping lines!” Tootles said.
“APOLOGIES!” Robin Hood said. “I AM THE GOBLIN KING AND I
HATE TROLLS!”
“And I am the Troll King and I hate goblins,” Tootles said. “How can we
live together underground? Now say it!”
“WHY DON’T WE PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND FORM
OUR OWN NATION?” Robin Hood asked.
 “That is a good idea!” Tootles said. “We will form the Troll and Goblin
Territory, start our own society, and prove we are not savage creatures!”
“Hooray,” the men and boys said with very little enthusiasm.
Trollbella cleared her throat to get the audience’s attention. “The trolls
and goblins lived harmoniously in the underground territory for many years,
until tragedy struck!” she narrated.
All the performers froze on the stage. They waited for something to
happen, but nothing did.
“I said until tragedy struck!” Trollbella repeated. “Braid girl, that’s your
cue!”
“Sorry, I was texting!” Whipney called from backstage.
Using her hair, Whipney lowered onto the stage two pillows painted to
look like rocks. The “rocks” gently touched both Robin Hood and Tootles on
the head. The actors fell to the floor and acted out dramatic death scenes.
Tootles’s performance was much simpler than Robin Hood’s, who convulsed
around the stage for almost five minutes before he lay still.
“GOOD-BYE, CRUEL WORLD!” Robin Hood shouted. “THAT
WASN’T IN THE SCRIPT, EITHER! I BELIEVE IT’S CALLED AN ABBY
LID!”
Trollbella shot him a dirty look and then turned to the audience.
“Sometimes rocks fall and you die—that’s just life,” Trollbella said into
the microphone. “With the Troll King and the Goblin King both gone, the
territory needed a new ruler!”
Red suddenly rose from a trapdoor in the center of the stage. She was
dressed similar to Trollbella, with horns and a brown dress. All the
performers sang like an angelic chorus as she entered, but none of them could
find the right note or harmonize.
“I am the Troll King’s only daughter, Trollbella,” Red said. “I will be
your new queen and guide you to prosperity! And… and… what’s the rest of
my line?”
“My heart is so full!” Trollbella whispered.
“Yes, that’s it,” Red said. “And my heart is so full, I can’t imagine
needing anything else but the affection and gratitude of my people!”
Peter Pan suddenly flew across the stage wearing a large cardboard heart.
It was completely unexpected, by both the audience and the other performers.
The children pointed him out to one another, wondering how the boy was
able to fly.
“Not yet, Peter!” Trollbella snipped, and continued the narration.
“Although she thought her heart was full, the young queen soon realized
something was missing. There was a void in her life that the trolls and
goblins couldn’t fill.”
Jack stepped onstage dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt.
“I’m the handsome Butterboy,” Jack announced. “I’m the queen’s soul
mate. I just don’t know it yet because I’m emotionally immature. Sorry,
Conner.”
Conner was so embarrassed, he sank into his seat and covered his face
with his backpack. Trollbella was sporting a wide grin—this was her favorite
part of the show. Red struck a theatrical pose with her hands over her heart.
“Be still my heart, for I am in love!” Red announced.
“Now, Peter!” Trollbella whispered.
Peter soared out from backstage and flew in circles over the audience. The
children laughed and clapped—they reached up and tried to touch him.
Conner was irritated by how much they were enjoying the show.
“Hello, Butterboy!” Red said to Jack. “Would you like to be my king and
rule the trolls and goblins with me? Oh, how happy we will be together!”
“Oh boy, that sounds wonderful!” Jack said. “How lucky I am to be loved
by such a beautiful and brilliant troll queen. I will never find someone like
her ever again—nope, not once, no how, no way, not going to happen! I want
to be with Trollbella for all eternity!”
“I never said that!” Conner shouted from his seat. “She’s making this up!”
Trollbella glared down at him from the stage. “If you get to tell stories, so
do I!”
Jack and Red ran toward each other in slow motion across the stage.
Suddenly, the lights began flickering melodramatically. Goldilocks stomped
onto the stage dressed as a large yellow toad with big warts and a purple
beanie. Of all the performers, she looked the least excited to be there.
“I am the terrible Bree Monster,” Goldilocks announced. “My mission in
life is to rid others of happiness. I must keep Butterboy away from Queen
Trollbella so their powerful love does not inspire others. I will bewitch
Butterboy with a curse so he thinks he has feelings for me, when in reality,
I’m so hideous I can’t be loved by anyone.”
“Oh, come on!” Conner said. “This is just ludicrous!”
 The audience booed as Goldilocks dragged Jack off the stage. Red
lowered her head and pretended to cry.
“After Butterboy was taken from her, Trollbella became very sad,”
Trollbella narrated. “But luckily, the troll queen was so commonsensical, she
bounced back quickly. She used her misfortune to create something
positive!”
“If I can’t have my Butterboy, I’ll put all my energy into being queen!”
Red said with a big smile. “I’ll help the trolls and goblins improve their
image by combining them into the Troblins! We’ll turn our territory into a
brand-new kingdom so the world will see how much we’ve changed!”
“The troll queen made the world a much better place for the trolls and
goblins,” Trollbella said. “Although it broke her heart to be away from
Butterboy, the distance taught the queen a valuable lesson and a secret to
success: When you can’t have what you want, make the most out of what you
have!”
A big sign hanging above the stage suddenly caught on fire. It burned THE
END and the curtains closed.
Conner was thankful the show was over. “Well, that was probably the
worst piece of theater in the history of—”
He was interrupted by thunderous applause coming from behind him.
Conner turned around and saw every patient in the hospital clapping
ecstatically and smiling from ear to ear. Trollbella’s show might have been
stupid and silly, but it was exactly what the audience needed. It gave the
patients of Saint Andrew’s Children’s Hospital a night off from their troubles
and an evening of mindless fun.
When the curtains opened again, Trollbella and her company reappeared
and took a bow. The audience cheered loudly and the patients who could
stand gave them a standing ovation. The performers could feel the patients’
gratitude in the applause and they bowed again and again until the clapping
stopped.
After the show, the characters came down off the stage and mingled with
the audience. They took pictures, signed autographs, and did everything they
could to make the patients feel special. The doctors and nurses appreciated
how the performers “stayed in character” while visiting with the children,
never suspecting the actors were actually who they claimed to be.
 Dr. Jackson and Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael found Bob and Charlotte in the
crowd and shook their hands.
“Thank you for such a unique performance,” Mrs. Carmichael said.
“It wasn’t Shakespeare,” said Mr. Carmichael. “But on the bright side, it
wasn’t Shakespeare.”
“I’ve never seen so many smiling faces in this hospital,” Dr. Jackson said.
“It was so kind of you to treat the children to a night of fun.”
“It was our pleasure,” Charlotte said. “It’s amazing what a story can do.”
It was getting late, and the doctors and nurses escorted the patients out of
the multi-purpose room and back to their own rooms. Tootles was a little
confused about where to go and wandered off with the other children.
Luckily the twins spotted him before he went too far.
“I’ll get him,” Alex told Conner. “Actually, it’s probably best if I do a lap
around the hospital to make sure he isn’t the only one who’s wandered off.
You should share your good news with the others!”
Alex followed Tootles out of the multi-purpose room. Conner waited until
everyone had left but his parents, the characters from “Starboardia,” “Galaxy
Queen,” and “The Ziblings,” and his friends from the fairy-tale world. He
stood on a chair and whistled to get the group’s attention.
“Congratulations on a good show, everyone,” Conner said. “Trollbella put
together a really creative and totally fictional show. You should all be very
proud of yourselves!”
“Fiction is a matter of opinion, Butterboy,” Trollbella said, and winked at
him.
Conner ignored her. “Now, I have some great news to share!” he said.
“My mom and I went into my last story and recruited one thousand
mummified soldiers into our army! We finally have enough people to face
the literary villains and take back the fairy-tale world!”
The characters erupted into cheers and applause of their own. Their spirits
were already high from the performance, but the news sent their spirits
soaring. Jack, Goldilocks, and Red shared a celebratory hug.
“That’s fantastic!” Red said. “I was getting so tired of that commissary!”
“Good job, my friend,” Jack said, and patted Conner on the back.
“Well done, Conner,” Goldilocks said. “We couldn’t have done it without
YOOOOOUU!”
Her words turned into a scream, and the room went silent. The color
drained from her face and her mouth dropped open. Goldilocks looked to
Jack and grabbed his hand.
“Goldie?” Jack asked. “What is it?”
“Jack, my water just broke,” Goldilocks said. “I’m going into labor!”
All the characters glanced at one another in panic. This was such an
anticipated moment, but no one was prepared for it. They were characters
from children’s stories—none of them knew how to deliver a baby!
“Quick! We need scissors, boiling water, and recycled paper!” Red
shouted. “Or is that for papier-mâché?”
Trollbella covered her eyes. “Keep it inside while I’m in the room!” she
said. “I don’t want to see a baby come out of you!”
“CALL THE MIDWIFE AND WET NURSE!” Robin Hood yelled. “BUT
DON’T TELL THEM I SENT YOU!”
“Everyone calm down,” Charlotte said. “I’m a nurse—I know what to do.
Bob, make some calls and see if there’s an ob-gyn close by. I’ll take her to
the operating room in the new wing of the hospital and get her prepped.”
“Got it,” Bob said.
“Isn’t Bob a doctor?” Red asked. “Can’t he help?”
“He’s not that kind of doctor,” Conner said.
“There are different kinds of doctors in the Otherworld?” Red asked.
“That just seems unnecessarily complicated to me.”
Bob immediately got on his phone and Charlotte quickly retrieved a
wheelchair. They were in a room filled with cutthroat pirates, advanced
Cyborgs, and daring superheroes—but Charlotte was the one taking the
situation by the horns. It was fun for Conner to watch his characters gawking
at his mom. Just like he told her on the blimp, she was the true hero.
Charlotte gently sat Goldilocks in the wheelchair and pushed her down the
hall. Jack held Goldilocks’s hand as they traveled and Red followed them.
“You guys stay here!” Conner told his characters. “When Alex gets back,
tell her where we are!”
“Good luck!” all the characters said together.
Conner ran down the hall and caught up with the others.
“Goldilocks, how’s the pain?” Charlotte asked.
“Not terrible, actually,” Goldilocks said. “The contractions aren’t nearly
as bad as I was expecting—NEVER MIND, THEY’RE BAD! THEY’RE
REALLY, REALLY BAD!”
 “Ouch, my hand!” Jack cried.
“Thank goodness you’re in a children’s hospital, Goldie!” Red said. “I
can’t imagine a better place in the world to have a baby! Good timing!”
“Red, babies aren’t born in children’s hospitals,” Conner said. “They’re
usually delivered at standard hospitals.”
“That makes absolutely no sense!” Red said. “This world is so
backward!”
They traveled through Saint Andrew’s to the operating room in the new
wing of the hospital. Conner ran ahead and held the doors for the others to
enter. When they went into the operating room, there were three people
waiting inside—two of whom were the last people Conner was expecting to
see.
“Bree? Emmerich?” he said in shock. “What are you doing here?”
His friends were standing with an old woman no one recognized. Conner
could instantly tell that Bree and Emmerich weren’t their normal selves. They
both looked pale, exhausted, and frightened.
“Conner!” Bree said frantically. “I didn’t know you would be here, too!”
“Bree, what are you guys doing here?” Conner asked. “Is something
wrong?”
Bree burst into tears. “I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t want to bring
him, but I had no choice.”
The doors slammed shut and locked behind them. Conner, Charlotte, Jack,
Goldilocks, and Red turned around and saw the Masked Man behind them.
He had a crazed look in his eye and he raised a revolver toward them.
Tonight’s surprises were just getting started.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
 ALEX ALONE

Alex found Tootles before he wandered into the Saint Andrew’s ICU and
escorted him back to the multi-purpose room. Alex completed a quick round
of the hospital, and the Lost Boy appeared to be the only character who had
strayed from the group.
Right before Alex rejoined the others in the multi-purpose room, she saw
something out of the corner of her eye: A woman with horns was entering the
women’s restroom down the hall. Alex could have sworn Trollbella was with
the others when she left, but she decided to inspect the bathroom just to be
sure. Who else would have horns in a hospital?
Alex searched the women’s restroom, but didn’t find the troll queen
anywhere.
“Trollbella?” Alex asked. “Was that you?”
Morina suddenly lunged out of a bathroom stall and blew a handful of
magic dust directly into Alex’s face. Alex was so startled she gasped,
breathing the dust deeply into her lungs. She coughed like she was choking
on poisonous gas, and her eyes watered like she had been hit with pepper
spray.
“What… what have you done to me?” she cried.
“I’ve enhanced you,” Morina said with a wicked smile.
Alex collapsed on the floor and tried to recuperate, but she couldn’t catch
her breath or stop crying. The witch stared down at Alex, like a vulture
waiting for its prey to die.
“That’s it,” Morina said. “Let it sink in, let it course through your veins,
let it consume you.…”
The coughing and tears eventually subsided, but the irritation was
replaced by even harsher symptoms. Alex was filled with more anger than
she had ever felt in her entire life. She tried to fight the magic manipulating
her emotions, but the struggle only infuriated her even more. Why was her
life a constant battle? Why did she have to fight so hard? Why did she always
have to save so many others?
To comfort herself, Alex thought of the people she loved, but the dust
wouldn’t let Alex feel love. As visions of her friends and family flashed
before her eyes, the spell convinced her that they all secretly hated her and
wished she would disappear. She thought her brother resented her, that her
mother was ashamed of her, that her grandmother had died disappointed in
her, and that her father had died just as an excuse to abandon her.
Alex grabbed the sink and pulled herself to her feet. She looked into the
mirror but didn’t see her own reflection. Alex only saw the face of a complete
failure. The dust altered not only her perception of the world, but also how
she viewed herself. She saw a girl who didn’t deserve affection, who was
unworthy of success, and who was incapable of anything but making
mistakes.
She wasn’t going to save her friends, she wasn’t going to defeat the
Literary Army, and she wasn’t going to save the fairy-tale world. It would
fall apart like everything else in her life, and Alex had only herself to blame.
“Do you feel the anger boiling inside of you?” Morina asked. “Let it
grow, let it shape you, let it blind you.… Let it become you.”
The bathroom walls and floor started to shake and the lights flickered.
Alex’s eyes began to glow, and her hair rose above her head like flames in
slow motion. She disappeared from her body and the magic dust transformed
her into someone else entirely.…
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
 CEMETERY OF THE UNDEAD

Conner was so stunned to see the Masked Man in the hospital, he lost his
train of thought. He didn’t stop to wonder what Bree and Emmerich were
doing with the Masked Man, how they’d got there, or who the older woman
with them was. All he could think about was getting his friends and his mom
away from such a dangerous man.
“They said you were dead,” Conner said.
“I’ve lived to seize another day,” the Masked Man said. “Sorry to
disappoint you.”
Charlotte looked at the Masked Man like she was seeing a ghost. Despite
his injuries and tattered clothes, he was the spitting image of her late
husband. Alex and Conner had tried so carefully to keep his existence a
secret from their mother, but the disturbing reality was right in front of her
face.
“Mom, this man isn’t Dad,” Conner said. “It’s his younger brother, Lloyd.
He’s a criminal from the fairy-tale world, don’t believe a word he—”
“I know who he is, Conner,” Charlotte said. “Your father told me all
about him before you were born. I’m sorry you know about him. Your father
never wanted you to find out you were related to such a horrible person.”
“You’re not the only person he’s related to, Conner,” Bree said.
“Emmerich is the Masked Man’s son—he’s the child the Masked Man had
with Bo Peep!”
The information was so unexpected, Conner felt like he had been slapped.
He remembered the story Hagetta had told him and his sister about hiding Bo
Peep’s child from his father, but that was long before they discovered who
the Masked Man really was. Conner had forgotten all about the child until
this moment.
“I guess that makes us cousins,” Emmerich said.
“This has turned into quite the family affair,” the Masked Man said. “But
I’m afraid it won’t be remembered as a pleasant reunion.”
 “What do you want from us?” Conner said.
The Masked Man grunted. “Teenagers,” he sneered. “You always think
both worlds revolve around you. To be frank, dear nephew, you’re quite
useless to me.”
“Then what do you want with Alex?” Conner asked.
“He’s not here for your sister, either,” Bree said. “He’s come to the
hospital to take your mom!”
“Me?” Charlotte said. “What could you possibly want with me?”
“I’m in need of an Otherworld nurse,” the Masked Man said. “You see,
the medical knowledge of the fairy-tale world isn’t as advanced as it is here,
and I’m in the market for a complicated procedure.”
Goldilocks moaned as another contraction began.
“This woman is about to have a baby,” Charlotte said. “Please, we need to
get her to a doctor immediately.”
“What a coincidence—I’m going to need a lift out of the hospital,” the
Masked Man said. “I thought I’d have to give the old woman here a bullet
wound to do it, but the mother-to-be is even more convenient.”
“You won’t lay a finger on her!” Jack yelled.
Jack charged toward him, but the Masked Man fired his gun into the air
and Jack froze.
“That was my only warning,” the Masked Man said. “I will not waste
another bullet—that goes for all of you.”
Their captor was growing visibly impatient. His most recent scheme was
so close to fruition, he could almost taste it. He paced around the room and
gave his hostages more insight into what he had in store.
“This is what’s going to happen,” the Masked Man said. “Charlotte is
going to collect from this room whatever she needs to perform a blood
transfusion. Then she, Emmerich, and myself are going to escort Goldilocks
downstairs to the emergency room. We’re going to tell the paramedics
Goldilocks needs to be transferred to another medical facility, and as they
load her into the ambulance, we’re going to steal it. Then we’re going to
drive far away, where Charlotte will transfer my son’s blood into my own
veins, until there isn’t a drop left in the boy.”
His plan was so barbaric, it took Conner a moment to understand the
reasoning behind it.
“If Emmerich is your son, that means there’s magic in his blood,” Conner
thought aloud. “You want his blood to regain your powers. You’re so
obsessed with power, you’re willing to kill your own son!”
“I’m willing to kill more if I have to,” the Masked Man warned.
“I’m not draining your son’s blood!” Charlotte said.
The Masked Man pointed his gun at Conner. “I’ll find ways of convincing
you,” he said.
The tense silence was broken by another painful cry as Goldilocks’s
contractions increased.
“It’s okay, Charlotte,” Emmerich said. “I’m not scared—I’d rather he
hurts me than anyone else. I’m sure it’ll just feel like I’m falling asleep.”
Charlotte would have sacrificed herself before harming a child, but
Emmerich had given the nurse an idea. The Masked Man nudged her toward
the supply cabinet and she collected syringes, gauze, bags, surgical tape, and
other equipment. Charlotte put everything she needed for a blood transfusion
into a large bag—and pocketed a little something extra.
“Now everyone else lie on the floor,” the Masked Man ordered.
“Emmerich, take those ACE bandages out of the cupboard and tie their hands
and feet together. Make sure the knots are tight—I’ll be checking before we
leave.”
With no alternative options in sight, Conner, Jack, Cornelia, Red, and
Bree did as the Masked Man demanded. Emmerich tied their hands tightly
behind their backs and their feet together. The Masked Man inspected his
son’s knots to make sure they’d last. Once he was satisfied, he tucked the
revolver under his sling—making a point to show his hostages it was hidden
but easily accessible if he needed it.
“Now let’s go,” he said.
Charlotte wheeled Goldilocks out of the room with the bag of supplies,
and they headed for the emergency room. The Masked Man pushed
Emmerich out the door, and they followed the women. The others left in the
operating room struggled against the bandages with all their might, but they
wouldn’t budge.
“We have to do something!” Jack said desperately. “Goldilocks is about
to give birth! Who knows what that madman might do to her!”
“Help us!” Cornelia yelled. “Help us!”
“Let me try,” Red said. “No offense, but I’m an attractive young blonde—
someone’s more likely to answer me! HELP US! HELP US!”
 “Guys, we’re the only people in an empty hospital wing!” Conner said.
“No one can hear us!”
“We have to stop him!” Bree said. “He’s going to kill Emmerich if we
don’t!”
“You see, this is why I’m not close to my own relatives!” Red said.
“Families are nuts! They give you life, then you’re lucky if you survive
them!”
Red’s rant inadvertently reminded Conner of something in his bag—
something they could use!
“Survival!” Conner said happily. “That’s it!”
Charlotte had packed Swiss Army knives in the twins’ backpacks before
they left for “Starboardia.” Thankfully, the Masked Man hadn’t instructed
Conner to take his backpack off before he was tied up. If he could just reach
the knife inside it, he might be able to cut himself free.
Conner rolled onto his back and with his tied hands painfully reached up
to the backpack’s front pouch. Just when it felt like he was about to break his
arms, he pried the zipper open with his fingertips.
“Bree, see if you can find the Swiss Army knife in my bag,” Conner said.
They shuffled around the floor until they were back to back and Bree was
able to remove the small knife from his backpack.
“I got it,” Bree said, and unfolded it. “Stay still—I’m going to cut the
bandages around your wrists.”
She sawed the small blade against Conner’s bandages until she cut
through them. Once Conner’s hands were free he removed the bandages
around his feet and sliced them off the others. They helped one another to
their feet and ran out of the operating room, but Cornelia stayed behind.
“Cornelia, are you coming?” Bree asked.
“I can’t keep up,” Cornelia said. “Go! Get to them before it’s too late! I’ll
call Wanda and Frenda and let them know where we are!”
“Cornelia, go to the multi-purpose room,” Conner said. “Find my sister
and tell her what’s happened—her name is Alex and she looks like me.”
“I will,” the old woman said. “Now hurry!”
Conner, Bree, Jack, and Red ran through the hospital as fast as they could.
They followed the signs to the emergency room, pushed past the people
waiting in the lobby, and ran out to the driveway where the ambulances were
parked.
 They arrived just in time to see two paramedics loading Goldilocks into
the back of an ambulance. As soon as they shut the doors behind her, the
ambulance screeched down the driveway, and the paramedics watched
helplessly as the vehicle was stolen in plain sight. They ran inside the
hospital to call the police. As the ambulance passed Conner and the others,
they saw the Masked Man at the wheel and Charlotte and Emmerich sitting in
the front beside him.
The driveway curved around the hospital like a horseshoe. If Conner ran
straight ahead, he might be able to stop the ambulance—but with what? What
did he have that could stop a speeding vehicle? As soon as he thought of the
question, the answer hit him like a bolt of lightning hitting the Eiffel Tower.
“They’re getting away!” Bree yelled.
“Oh no they’re not!” Conner said. He ran across the driveway and
retrieved the binder of short stories from his backpack. He flipped it open to
the very last page and dived in front of the ambulance. Just before the vehicle
ran him over, the beam of light hit the ambulance and it disappeared into his
short story.
Jack and Red sighed with relief—they couldn’t believe Conner had pulled
it off. Bree had no clue what had just happened, but she was amazed by what
she saw.
“Come on!” Conner said. “Follow me!”
With no time to lose, Conner jumped into the beam of light and his friends
followed him inside.
Since he had opened the binder to the very last page, Conner was certain
he had sent the ambulance into “The Adventures of Blimp Boy.” He expected
to see an Egyptian desert and the Pyramid of Anesthesia, but Conner didn’t
recognize the world around him at all. In fact, he had never seen the strange
environment they had landed in, not even in his imagination.
They were standing on a tall knoll surrounded by rolling hills of dark soil.
A full moon peeked through dark clouds above them, and a misty fog hung in
the air. In the distance they saw a tall wrought-iron fence along the perimeter
of an enormous and eerie cemetery. The fence guarded a sea of gothic
tombstones, and through the fog beyond the graves, they could make out a
forest of stone mausoleums.
The tombstones were so old they were cracked and covered in mildew and
their engravings were virtually illegible. They were decorated in crucifixes
and macabre statues of angels and the grim reaper. Even though the fog
distorted the view, the cemetery seemed as endless as the deserts of Egypt.
There wasn’t a sign of life anywhere; there were no trees, grass, or flowers,
only tombs for miles and miles around.
“Conner, were you in a bad mood when you wrote this story?” Red said.
“This isn’t my story,” Conner said. “I never wrote about anything like
this.”
Suddenly, they saw something moving across the graveyard. A red fox
was prancing among the tombstones. The animal batted its eyes and twirled
its tail flirtatiously, almost as if it were trying to lure them into the cemetery.
Bree recognized the fox and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing
things.
“Conner, where was that beam of light supposed to take us?” Bree asked.
“It should have transported us into one of my short stories,” he explained.
“We’ve been using a potion to travel into my writing, but I have no clue
where it’s taken us.”
Bree gulped nervously. “I do,” she said. “This is my short story—we’re in
‘Cemetery of the Undead’! I wrote it in the eighth grade!”
Conner tried to make sense of the situation. How could they be in one of
Bree’s stories?
“I got my stories from Mrs. Peters,” Conner said. “She must have mixed
your writing with mine when she gave them to me! It’s been in the back of
my binder the whole time! I didn’t have a divider between them, so the Portal
Potion must have seeped through my writing and into yours.”
Traveling into his own stories had been a jarring experience for Conner,
but at least he knew where he was going. He couldn’t imagine how Bree felt
after accidentally stumbling into a world from her imagination with no prior
warning.
“Look over there!” Jack said, and pointed.
They saw tire tracks and followed them into the cemetery. The ambulance
had crashed into the fence just beside a wide-open gate. They checked the
vehicle, but it was empty. A moan came from somewhere in the graveyard
and they ran toward it.
“Goldie!” Jack shouted. “We’re coming!”
They found Goldilocks on the ground a few hundred feet inside the
graveyard. She was leaning against a tombstone, with beads of sweat
covering her forehead, and she was breathing deeply. Jack knelt beside her
and held her hand.
“The Masked Man…” She panted. “I couldn’t keep up, so they left me
here.… He took Emmerich and Charlotte somewhere over there.… I didn’t
see which one they went inside.…”
Goldilocks pointed to the mausoleums, but there were hundreds of them.
Finding Emmerich and Charlotte among them would be like finding a needle
in a haystack.
“Let’s get you back to the hospital,” Jack said. He tried to get Goldilocks
to stand, but she wouldn’t move.
“My contractions are too close together,” Goldilocks said. “I can’t stand!
This baby is being born right here!”
Jack and the others exchanged fearful looks—Goldilocks needed help.
“You guys stay with Goldie,” Conner told them. “I’m going to find
Emmerich and my mom. As soon as I get them away from the Masked Man,
I’ll send my mom here to help.”
“I’m coming with you,” Bree said.
“You can’t, it’s too dangerous,” Conner said.
“Conner, I know you’re used to being the hero of your own stories, but
this is mine,” Bree said. “I know this cemetery like the back of my hand.
Besides, we only have twenty minutes until midnight—we have to get
everyone out of here before then!”
“What happens at midnight?” Red asked.
Bree looked frightened. “The characters come out,” she said.
“What’s wrong with you writers?” Red yelled. “If you wrote instruction
manuals, we wouldn’t have this problem!”
Goldilocks moaned again and squeezed Jack’s hand. They didn’t have
much time before the baby arrived. Conner and Bree ran into the cemetery
and searched through the mausoleums one by one.
The Masked Man had taken Emmerich and Charlotte deep into the
cemetery and forced them inside a mausoleum with stained glass windows
and a statue of a fallen angel on the roof. He and his son sat on the casket
inside as Charlotte prepared the equipment for the blood transfusion. The
Masked Man kept a watchful eye on the nurse and a steady grip on his
revolver as she worked.
To keep up appearances, Charlotte drew blood from Emmerich and let it
fill a small bag. Emmerich watched the blood drain from his body as if it
were sand pouring out of his personal hourglass.
“If you see my mom, please tell her I love her.” The little boy sniffled.
“You can tell her yourself—I promise,” Charlotte whispered, and winked
at the young boy.
Next, the nurse prepared the Masked Man’s IV. She made it as unpleasant
for him as possible. She forcefully straightened his broken arm and stuck him
with the dullest needle she had.
“Easy!” he barked.
Charlotte pulled a small vial out of her pocket and filled a syringe with its
clear liquid. She started injecting the solution into the Masked Man’s IV but
he became suspicious and stopped her.
“What is that?” the Masked Man snarled.
“It’s just saline,” Charlotte said. “It’s to prevent infection.”
“I don’t want you putting anything inside my veins except the child’s
blood.”
“I can’t put his blood into your system until the area is sterilized,”
Charlotte said. “If you don’t want me to do my job correctly, then there was
no point in leaving the fairy-tale world.”
The Masked Man glared at her, held his revolver a little tighter, and
allowed her to proceed. Charlotte injected the solution into his arm and
watched him closely. The Masked Man suddenly felt very tired. His eyelids
became heavy and the small mausoleum started spinning around him—he
had been tricked! Charlotte hadn’t injected him with saline but with a
sedative!
“YOU WENCH!” the Masked Man yelled, and raised his revolver.
Charlotte twisted his broken arm and the Masked Man shrieked in agony.
He dropped the gun and scrambled to the floor to retrieve it. Charlotte threw
the IV pole at the stained glass window and it shattered. She and Emmerich
quickly crawled through it just as the Masked Man got his gun. He shot at
them, but the sedative made him a lousy shot and he missed. The bullet
ricocheted off the mausoleum’s stone wall and hit the side of his right leg. He
screamed in pain.
Conner and Bree were searching the mausoleums nearby when they heard
the sounds of broken glass, gunfire, and screaming.
“Mom!” Conner gasped.
 “Emmerich!” Bree said.
They ran toward the sounds, praying nothing had happened to either of
them. A dark and foggy graveyard was scary by itself, but knowing a
dangerous man was lurking nearby with a gun made Conner and Bree feel
like they were in a real-life horror movie. They jumped at every statue they
saw, afraid it was the Masked Man looming through the fog. Luckily, they
ran into Charlotte first.
“Mom!” Conner said. “Thank God you’re okay! Where’s Emmerich?”
Charlotte’s eyes darted around the cemetery. “He was right beside me a
moment ago,” she said. “We escaped from your uncle but got separated in the
fog.”
Another scream echoed through the cemetery, but this time it was coming
from Goldilocks.
“Mom, you have to go and help her,” Conner said. “Bree and I will find
Emmerich.”
From the look in her eyes, Conner knew leaving him and Bree alone was
the last thing his mother wanted to do.
“We’ll be fine,” Conner said. “Right now, Goldilocks needs you!”
Charlotte was torn between her obligations as a mother and her duties as a
nurse. But she had to remind herself she wasn’t the mother of a normal child
—she knew Conner was more than capable of taking care of himself. He had
proven it time and time again.
“I love you, sweetheart,” Charlotte said. “Be safe.”
She hugged her son and kissed him on the cheek. Then Charlotte followed
Goldilocks’s moans to the front of the graveyard and prepared to deliver the
child.
Conner and Bree hurried in the opposite direction, looking for their friend.
“Emmerich!” Bree whispered. “Where are you?”
They found Emmerich crouching behind a tombstone. He was trembling
and looking around with large, frightened eyes. The fog was the thickest in
this part of the cemetery, and he hadn’t been able to tell who Bree and
Conner were until they were just a few feet away from him.
“There you are!” Bree said.
“Conner! Bree!” Emmerich cried with relief. “Where’s Charlotte?”
“She went back to help Goldilocks,” Conner said. “Come on, let’s get you
out of here.”
 “NOT SO FAST!” shouted a voice behind them.
Conner and Bree slowly turned around and saw the Masked Man creeping
toward them. He was in the worst shape of his life: His limp was much worse
now that he had a sprained ankle and a bullet wound on the same leg. His
clothes were covered in blood, and the sedative had made the bags under his
eyes droopier than usual. He was fighting the medication off with all his
remaining strength.
“The boy is coming with me!” the Masked Man yelled.
Conner stood between his uncle and Emmerich.
“No one is going anywhere with you!” he said.
“Stupid boy!” the Masked Man said. “Get out of my way or I’ll shoot!”
“Go ahead!” Conner said. “You’ll never be satisfied no matter how many
people you kill and no matter how powerful you become! And if I can’t stop
you, my sister will! Good luck facing her once she finds out you killed me!”
The Masked Man ignored Conner and pointed his gun at his nephew’s
head. “Give my regards to your father.”
Just as he was about to press his finger against the trigger, they were all
startled by a loud scraping sound. The lids of three stone caskets nearby were
pushed open, and the corpses inside suddenly stood up from their graves.
“What’s going on?” Conner whispered to Bree.
She glanced down at her watch. “It’s midnight,” she said. “All the bodies
in the cemetery come back to life for a few minutes every night to stretch
their legs and visit with each other. It’s supposed to be a morbid
representation of what break time is like in a public high school!”
All three corpses were women, and although in Bree’s story they were
less decomposed than they would have been in real life, each had obviously
been dead for a long while. Their skin was so pale, it was a shade of blue,
there were dark circles under their eyes, and parts of their bones stuck out
from their skin.
The women wore very specific clothing from different eras in history. The
first woman wore early-fifteenth-century armor, and her skin was partially
burned. The second woman wore a dress with wide sleeves, a necklace with
the letter B, and a headband with a long veil. The third woman wore an
enormous ball gown and lots of jewelry and had a towering white wig. The
two women in dresses also had stitches around their necks, as if their heads
had been detached from their bodies and then sewn back on.
 “Who are they?” Conner asked. “Why do they look so familiar?”
“This area of the cemetery is called ‘Wronged Women Row,’” Bree said.
“These are the women I thought had unfair deaths in history. That’s Joan of
Arc, Anne Boleyn, and Marie-Antoinette.”
The historical figures stretched and yawned as they came back to life. It
was like they were waking from a long nap rather than coming back from the
dead.
“I just adore our nightly stretches,” Joan of Arc said. “Don’t you, Anne?”
“It certainly gives us something to live for.” Anne Boleyn giggled.
“You know what I always say,” Marie-Antoinette said. “Death is what
you make of it. Just like everything else, it’s all in the execution!”
The corpses laughed wildly among themselves. Apparently nothing
tickled them more than jokes about their mortality. The women turned to a
fourth casket in their row whose occupant hadn’t risen yet.
“It looks like Bo is sleeping in again,” Joan of Arc said.
“She’d better wake up and stretch, otherwise she’ll be very stiff
tomorrow,” Anne Boleyn said.
“Oh, Bo, darling?” Marie-Antoinette called to the casket. “It’s midnight,
dear! Come out and join us!”
The lid on the casket slid open and a fourth corpse stood up in her grave.
She wore a dainty dress and a bonnet and held a staff. She must have been the
most recently departed, because she was far less decomposed than the other
corpses were.
“Sorry, girls, I was counting sheep,” the woman said. “It helps me pass
the time between stretches.”
“What’s your count up to now?” Joan of Arc asked.
“Twenty-eight million, nine hundred and seventy-four thousand, eight
hundred and sixty-three,” the woman said.
Conner recognized the woman immediately. It caught him completely off
guard because he thought he’d never see her again—even in a fictional story.
“That’s Bo Peep!” Conner whispered to Bree. “You put her in ‘Cemetery
of the Undead’?”
“This must be my second draft,” Bree said. “I was upset by how Bo Peep
died, so I added her to the story.”
As strange as it was to see their deceased acquaintance, it was nothing
compared to how Emmerich felt at the sight of his birth mother. He had
hundreds of questions he wanted to ask, but he was too afraid to speak.
Seeing her corpse come to life made the Masked Man feel like he had
stepped into a nightmare. He couldn’t tell if she was really there or if she was
just a hallucination brought on by the sedative.
“Bo Peep?” he asked in shock.
All the undead women turned to the sound of his voice. It was the first
time they realized their row had visitors.
Bo Peep was enraged to see him. “Lloyd!” she yelled.
The other corpses gasped.
“Is this the man you were telling us about, Bo?” Joan of Arc asked.
“Yes, he is,” Bo Peep said. “He’s the one who used me, who tricked me,
and who broke my heart! He’s the whole reason I’m in this cemetery! I’d still
be alive if it weren’t for him!”
“And look—he’s not alone,” Anne Boleyn pointed out. “There are three
young people with him.”
“I know them, too,” Bo Peep said. “What are the three of you doing with a
man like him?”
“I promise, it’s not by choice!” Conner said. “He’s holding us hostage!”
Hearing this angered Bo Peep to no end. She stepped out of her casket and
charged toward the Masked Man. He had never been so terrified in his entire
life. He aimed his revolver at her, but it didn’t stop her from approaching
him.
“Don’t come any closer or I’ll shoot!” he warned her.
“You can’t hurt me anymore,” Bo Peep said.
She reached toward him with her cold dead hands, and the Masked Man
shot at her—using the third and final bullet in the revolver. Bo Peep looked
down at the bullet hole in her torso, but it only infuriated her even more.
“Kill me once, shame on you. Kill me twice, shame on me!” she said.
“Get away!” the Masked Man said. “I’m warning you!”
“Your threats are as empty as your soul!” Bo Peep said.
The Masked Man hobbled away from her as quickly as his injured leg
would allow. He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, though, and
fell right into an empty grave with an unmarked tombstone. He tried to climb
out of it, but dozens of decaying hands suddenly stuck up from the dirt below
and grabbed hold of him. They pulled on his legs, his arms, and his clothes
and pulled him into the ground with them.
 “UNHAND ME AT ONCE, YOU DEMONS!” the Masked Man yelled.
He screamed and tried to free himself, but there were too many for him to
fight. The more he struggled, the more hands appeared. Even after he was
completely underground, his screaming could still be heard aboveground, but
the sound of his voice became fainter and fainter as he was pulled deeper and
deeper into the earth.
When the noise had finally disappeared completely, an engraving
appeared on the tombstone: HERE LIES LLOYD BAILEY—BELOVED BY NONE.
As much as Conner hated the Masked Man, it was still a terrifying thing
to witness. He wondered if his uncle was really gone for good, but when he
turned to Bree, he saw she looked just as frazzled as he did. Bree’s story of
the undead had taken on a life of its own.
“Well, that’s all the excitement I can handle for one night,” Joan of Arc
said.
“Time to go back to sleep,” Anne Boleyn said with a yawn.
“See you tomorrow night, girls,” Marie-Antoinette said. “Same time,
same place—for all eternity.”
The women lay back down in their graves. They pulled the lids over their
caskets, tucking themselves in for a good night’s rest. Bo Peep wandered
back to her casket, but Bree stopped her before she stepped inside it.
“Bo?” Bree said. “I’m not sure this is the right thing to do, but if I were
you I would want to know. It’s so difficult to say—I guess I’ll just spit it out:
Emmerich is your son.”
Bo Peep stared at the young boy in bewilderment. If she still had a pulse,
it would have been racing. If she still needed to breathe, she would have been
breathless.
“You’re my son?” she asked.
“Yes,” Emmerich said.
“Hagetta said she would find you a good home. Did she?”
“She did,” he said. “I have a mother—an adoptive mother, who loves me
very much.”
“That’s good to hear,” Bo Peep said. “Knowing that, I might finally be
able to rest instead of counting sheep.”
Emmerich eyed Lloyd’s grave. “Is my father ever coming back?” he said.
“Not from where he’s going,” Bo Peep said. “He’ll never harm you or
anyone else ever again.”
Bo Peep removed a small necklace from around her neck and placed it in
her son’s hand. Bree and Emmerich remembered her showing it to them
while they traveled down the secret path with the royals the year before. It
had a thin chain and a small stone heart with a crack across it.
“Here, something to remember me by,” Bo Peep said. “You seem like a
kind child. I’m sorry I didn’t raise you myself, but you were better off with
your adoptive mother. I was too young and foolish to be a mother. You didn’t
deserve to inherit my mistakes.”
“I understand,” he said.
“Good night, Emmerich,” she said. “I hope we see each other in our
dreams.”
Bo Peep lay back in her casket and pulled the lid over her body. Bree put
her arm around Emmerich as he watched her go. Once she was gone, he
looked down at the necklace and held it tightly in his hand.
“Speaking of mothers,” Conner said, “we should probably find my mom
and the others.”
Conner, Bree, and Emmerich hurried to the front of the cemetery to
regroup with their friends. The closer they got, the louder and clearer the
others’ voices became.
“Push, Goldilocks!” they heard Charlotte shout. “Push! Push! Push!”
“ERRRRRRRR!” Goldilocks grunted.
“You can do it, Goldie!” Jack encouraged his wife. “You’re almost
there!”
“I can see the head!” Charlotte declared. “Just one more push!”
“OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT?” Red screamed loudest of all. “I AM
NEVER HAVING CHILDREN!”
Soon the sounds of a crying infant echoed through the cemetery. By the
time Conner, Bree, and Emmerich found the others, Goldilocks and Jack
were the proud parents of a healthy and beautiful baby boy. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the bunch.
Charlotte cleaned the baby off and wrapped him in towels she found in the
ambulance. He had his mother’s golden curls, his father’s strong chin, and his
aunt Red’s doe-eyed expression.
“Jack, we’re parents,” Goldilocks said tearfully. “We have a son!”
“We’re an official family,” Jack said affectionately.
 “We did it!” Red said, and burst into happy tears. “I only wish Charlie
was here to see it!”
Although she had had nothing to do with creating the child, she hugged
Jack and Goldilocks as if she were a new parent, too.
“What are you going to name him?” Conner asked.
“Hero,” Goldilocks said confidently. “That way, it won’t matter where
he’s from, what he becomes, or who his parents are—he’ll always be the hero
of his own story.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
 A SITUATION

As soon as they stepped through the beam of light and returned to the
Otherworld, Charlotte and Jack took Goldilocks and Hero to the Saint
Andrew’s emergency room to be examined by a doctor. Conner, Bree,
Emmerich, and Red went straight to the multi-purpose room to tell the others
what had happened in the “Cemetery of the Undead” and to share the good
news of Jack and Goldilocks’s son.
Conner figured Cornelia must have spread the word about the Masked
Man, because everyone in the multi-purpose room had a long, somber face
and seemed worried sick. Even the Blissworm’s smile wasn’t as pronounced
as it usually was. Bree and Emmerich were a little overwhelmed by all the
people they didn’t know but could have sworn they recognized.
“Conner!” Bob shouted. “Are you all right? Where’s your mother?”
“Everything is fine, we’re all safe,” Conner said. “Mom is in the
emergency room with Jack and Goldilocks. They have a son and they named
him Hero! They’re just getting checked out to make sure everything is okay.”
“And what about that horrible man?” Cornelia asked.
“The Masked Man is gone,” Conner said. “And this time, he’s not coming
back.”
The news wasn’t as comforting as Conner thought it would be. In fact, the
expressions of the characters around the room didn’t change. They didn’t
even seem excited about the new baby.
“Guys, what’s wrong?” he asked. “You all look like someone died.”
The characters parted and Conner realized they were gathered around the
Tin Woodman. He sat in a chair beside Blubo, the small flying monkey. The
monkey was distraught and his eyes were puffy from crying.
“Blubo?” Conner asked. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in the
fairy-tale world with the others?”
“We wanted to share the good news about completing our army with the
others back in the mine,” the Tin Woodman said. “We traveled through the
emerald storybook but when we arrived, they were all gone. Everyone in the
mine had been turned into stone! Blubo was the only one who wasn’t
affected.”
Conner shook his head as if he were trying to clear out the words he didn’t
want to hear.
“What?” he said. “You mean the royal families, the animals, the citizens,
Hagetta, the Tradesman—”
“THEY WERE ALL STATUES!” Robin Hood said. “STILL AS ROCK
AND PALE AS BONE.”
“Oh no. Granny.” Red gasped. “What happened to them?”
“Right after you left the mine, we were attacked by a horrible monster.”
Blubo sniffled. “I was so afraid, I hid and covered my eyes. I never even got
a good look at it.”
Conner had an idea of what had happened. “The creature that turned the
Fairy Council into stone must have found a way into the mine,” he said.
He walked in a circle around the room, wondering what to do next.
Apparently he had left one crisis only to stumble into another. He looked for
his sister but didn’t see her.
“Has anyone seen Alex?” Conner asked.
“She hasn’t been here since I arrived,” Cornelia said.
“I’ll check to see if she’s in the bathroom,” Red said.
Red left the room and sprinted down the hall. As soon as she opened the
door of the women’s restroom she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“Conner!” Red yelled. “Come quick! You need to see this right away!”
He was already headed toward her before she finished the sentence. As
Conner dashed down the hall, all the characters followed him. Whatever Red
had found was so bad, she hadn’t even needed to step inside the bathroom to
see it. The queen just held the door open and stared inside in total shock.
Conner arrived at her side and peered into the bathroom—but there wasn’t
a bathroom to see. He saw the night sky and other buildings outside. He
looked up and saw into an empty office above; he looked down and saw into
a deserted basement below. There was drywall, sparking electrical wires, and
broken water faucets—it looked like an explosion had gone off.
Even though there was no evidence that Alex had caused it or that she had
even been present for it, Conner knew in the pit of his stomach that it had
something to do with his sister.
 “Alex…” Conner said. “What’s happened to you?”

President of the United States Katherine Walker was sitting in the Oval
Office of the West Wing with two foreign ambassadors.
“Gentlemen,” President Walker said, “I understand it’s difficult for the
prime minister and the sultan to agree on a location, but I’m not going to sit
here day after day while innocent people are suffering because of their
negligence. If we can’t find a way to resolve this matter in the next forty-
eight hours, I will put troops on the ground.”
The meeting had been a major priority on the president’s schedule and
was booked weeks in advance. As far as she was concerned, no other matter
was more important, and her entire afternoon had been cleared for the
discussion. So it was surprising when the door of the Oval Office swung open
and her Chief of Staff interrupted.
“Madam President,” the Chief of Staff said. “I’m sorry for the
interruption, but you’re needed in the Situation Room immediately.”
“What’s wrong?” President Walker asked.
“It’s best if you see it for yourself,” the Chief of Staff said. “There’s a
situation in New York City.”
“Terrorism?”
“No, ma’am,” he said with difficulty. “Our most educated analysis, with
all means of science and technology in mind, is that it’s magic.…”
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 Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank Rob Weisbach, Alla Plotkin, Rachel Karten, Derek Kroeger,
Heather Manzutto, Marcus Colen, Jerry Maybrook, and the amazing Brandon
Dorman. Also, I couldn’t have written this book without the support of
Alvina Ling, Bethany Strout, Melanie Chang, Nikki Garcia, Megan Tingley,
Andrew Smith, Kristin Dulaney, Svetlana Keselman, and everyone at Little,
Brown. And, of course, all my friends and family! Thanks for being mine!
TURN THE PAGE FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO THE LAND OF
STORIES SERIES!
AVAILABLE JULY 2017
CHAPTER ONE
 DISTRESS CALL FROM THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY

It was just a typical afternoon at the main branch of the New York Public
Library. The marble halls of the world-famous structure echoed with the
footsteps of obnoxious tourists, restless college students, and noisy groups of
elementary school students on field trips. Tour guides shared little-known
facts about the library’s expansive history and refrained from rolling their
eyes at questions about the movies that had been filmed there. Librarians
gave directions to the renowned reading rooms on the upper floors and
reminded the guests that library books weren’t allowed in the bathrooms.
There was absolutely nothing to suggest that anything strange or peculiar
might occur later that evening, but strange and peculiar events rarely give any
warning before they happen.
Security guard Rudy Lewis began his four PM to midnight shift by
patrolling the library’s entrance on Fifth Avenue. He yelled at teenagers for
climbing the iconic lion statues that flanked the library’s sprawling front
steps. He kindly asked the homeless people sleeping beside the fountains to
continue their naps at the shelter down the street, and once they obliged, he
went back to the statues to yell at a new gang of teenagers for climbing them.
Once the library closed and was cleared out, Rudy spent the rest of his shift
patrolling the library’s interior.
For hours and hours Rudy walked up and down the vacant halls of the
four-level structure, inspecting its various forums, galleries, studies, and
stairwells. Five minutes before the end of his shift, he was positive there
wasn’t another soul in the library and was eager to hand his duties off to the
next security guard. But as he made his final inspection of the third floor,
Rudy discovered he was mistaken.
At the end of a long, dark hallway, the security guard found a young
woman standing alone. She wore a sparkling white dress and had strawberry-
blonde hair, and her head was bowed as if she had fallen asleep standing up.
At first, the sight of the woman startled Rudy. He had walked past this part of
the library a dozen times and hadn’t seen anyone before now. It was like the
young woman had appeared out of thin air.
“Excuse me,” he said. “What are you doing?”
The young woman didn’t respond.
“Hey, I’m talking to you,” Rudy said.
The angry security guard shined his flashlight on the young woman to get
her attention, but she didn’t move. Once she was illuminated, Rudy could see
that she was trembling and her skin was as pale as a ghost. For a split second,
he worried that she was a ghost. His coworkers had always warned him that
the library was haunted, but until now, he had no reason to believe them.
“The library’s closed.” Rudy’s voice cracked as he spoke. “Unless you’re
an employee, you’re trespassing on city property.”
Still, the young woman never looked up or said a word. Her silence was
making Rudy paranoid. The longer he stood in her presence, the creepier the
young woman became. The fate of every security guard in every horror film
flashed before Rudy’s eyes, but he mustered the courage to approach the
strange woman.
“I’m gonna call the police if you don’t say something!”
Suddenly, the young woman gasped and jerked her head up, causing Rudy
to jump. She frantically looked around in a panic as if waking from a bad
dream.
“Where am I?” she panted.
“You’re at the library,” Rudy said, but it only confused her more.
“The library? Which library?”
“The New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and East Forty-First
Street,” Rudy said.
“Oh no,” the young woman cried. “You have to get out of here!
Something terrible is about to happen!”
“What are you talking about? How did you even get in here?”
“I don’t know what she has planned, but you’ve got to go before she
makes me hurt you!” she pleaded. “Please, you have to listen to me! I can’t
control it!”
Tears spilled out of her blue eyes and rolled down her face.
“Who are you talking about?” Rudy asked. “No one is in here but me and
you.”
“The witch who cursed me! She put me under some kind of spell that
makes me do things—awful things!”
“Lady, you’re clearly on a lot of drugs,” Rudy said. “I’m taking you
outside and calling the cops.”
“You have to get my brother! He’s the only one who can help! His name
is Conner Bailey—he should be at Saint Andrew’s Children’s Hospital in
Willow Crest—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rudy said and grabbed her arm. “This city is full of
places that help people like you, but you can’t stay here.”
The security guard tried to escort her to the exit, but the young woman
wouldn’t budge. He pulled on her arm with all his might, but she stayed
exactly where she was, as if she was glued to the floor.
“It’s too late!” the young woman said. “The spell—I feel it coming!
Please, you have to run!”
To the security guard’s horror, the young woman’s eyes rolled back and
began to glow. Her hair rose above her head and floated in the air like a slow
flickering fire. In all his years in security, Rudy had never seen anything like
this before.
“What the heck is happening to you?”
The young woman placed a palm on his chest, and a bright blast erupted
from her hand, knocking him all the way down the hall. As Rudy lay on the
floor, his whole body tingled as if he had just been electrocuted. His vision
was blurry and fading fast. With all his remaining strength, and the few
moments of consciousness he had left, Rudy reached for his radio and held it
against his mouth.
“Police…” he wheezed. “We need police at the library… NOW!”
Within minutes, Fifth Avenue was illuminated in red and blue lights as
two police cars sped toward the New York Public Library. A policeman
emerged from the first vehicle and a policewoman from the second. The
officers hurried up the front steps with their guns raised.
“I just got the call. What’s the situation?” the policewoman asked.
“We don’t know,” said the policeman. “A distress call came from
somewhere inside the library. Approach with caution.”
“Oh my God.” The policewoman gasped. “Look!”
The officer pointed to the library’s entrance as the large doors slowly
opened on their own. A moment later the young woman in the white dress
levitated through the doorway and landed at the top of the library’s front
steps. Even in New York City, the police weren’t accustomed to seeing
someone with glowing eyes and floating hair fly out of a building. Once the
initial shock faded, the officers knelt behind a lion statue and aimed their
weapons at her.
“Hands up!” the policeman ordered.
The young woman didn’t follow his instructions. Instead, she pointed at
the statues and two powerful bolts of lightning struck the lions. The police
dove to the ground to avoid getting hit.
“What was that?” the policeman asked.
“Lightning!” said the policewoman. “But I don’t understand. There aren’t
any clouds in the sky!”
Once the officers helped each other to their feet, they jerked their heads
toward a strange cracking noise coming from the statues. They watched in
astonishment as the stone lions stood from their perches, leaped into the air,
and landed on the steps in front of the young woman, blocking the officers
from coming any closer. The statues roared so loudly they set off all the car
alarms within the city block.
“Holy crap,” the policeman said. “The statues are alive! How is this
possible?”
The policewoman clicked the radio on her shoulder. “Officer Sanchez to
Dispatch,” she said. “The library is under attack, I repeat, the library is under
attack! We need all available units to join us immediately!”
“Copy, Officer Sanchez,” a voice responded over the radio. “All available
units have been notified. Are you able to identify who or what is behind the
attack?”
Still in disbelief, the policewoman hesitated to respond.
“It’s magic,” she said breathlessly. “The library is being attacked by
magic!”
 Contents

COVER
TITLE PAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
EPIGRAPH

PROLOGUE: THE FAVORITE STUDENT

CHAPTER ONE: THE MASKED EMPIRE
CHAPTER TWO: GROUNDED
CHAPTER THREE: THE FALLEN EMPEROR
CHAPTER FOUR: A NICE FAMILY DINNER
CHAPTER FIVE: CRIES FROM THE CASTLE
CHAPTER SIX: A BEWITCHING OFFER
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE CAPTAIN AND HER CREW
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE WRATH OF SMOKY-SAILS SAM
CHAPTER NINE: SAILING CIRCLES AROUND THE BERMUDA
TRIANGLE
CHAPTER TEN: STARBOARDIA
CHAPTER ELEVEN: CURSES
CHAPTER TWELVE: MAKING A SPLASH ON SYCAMORE DRIVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: GALAXY QUEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: UNIVERSAL PESTS
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE APPLE MEETS THE TREE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: FULL HOUSE AND FULL HEARTS
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: REGROUPING
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: SAINT ANDREW’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE ZIBLINGS
CHAPTER TWENTY: PROFESSOR WALLET’S SECRET
LABORATORY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: CITY OF LIGHTNING
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: A CASTLE OF QUESTIONS
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: FAMILIAR STRANGERS
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE ADVENTURES OF BLIMP BOY
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF QUEEN
TROLLBELLA”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: ALEX ALONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: CEMETERY OF THE UNDEAD
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: A SITUATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A SNEAK PEEK OF THE LAND OF STORIES: WORLDS COLLIDE
COPYRIGHT
 Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Christopher Colfer

Excerpt from The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide copyright © 2017 by Christopher Colfer
Cover and interior art copyright © 2016 by Brandon Dorman
Endpaper illustrations © 2016 by Christopher Colfer
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The
purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that
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author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book
(other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for
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Originally published in hardcover and ebook by Little, Brown and Company in July 2016
First Trade Paperback Edition: June 2017

Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the
publisher.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Names: Colfer, Chris, 1990-author. | Dorman, Brandon, illustrator.
Title: The land of stories : an author’s odyssey / Chris Colfer ; illustrated by Brandon
Dorman.
Other titles: An author’s odyssey
Description: First edition. | New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2016. | Series: The
land of stories ; 5 | Summary: “Conner learns that the only place to fight the Masked
Man’s literary army is inside his own short stories. When the twins and their friends
enter worlds crafted from Conner’s imagination, the race begins to put an end to the
Masked Man’s reign of terror.”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016016573| ISBN 9780316383295 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780316383202
(ebook) | ISBN 9780316383165 (library edition ebook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Characters in literature—Fiction. | Imagination—Fiction. | Twins—
Fiction. | Brothers and sisters—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | Youths’ writings.
Classification: LCC PZ7.C677474 Lahh 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016016573

ISBNs: 978-0-316-38321-9 (pbk.), 978-0-316-38320-2 (ebook)

E3-20170519-JV-PC